


Here She Goes Again

by KendraLynora



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 21:26:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/892056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KendraLynora/pseuds/KendraLynora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Myka gets sent out on an adventure.</p>
<p>Timeline: after season2 *season3&4 N/A*</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here She Goes Again

"Stop! Arret!" Called a determined woman as she ran after the hooded teenager.

The quick figure in front threaded his way through the multitudes of people in the mall.

"Make a hole! Déplacer des gens!" The woman close on his tail yelled out to the bystanders clearing the way for her.

The young lad skidded to a stop, almost falling backwards, as he saw two security guards about to cut him off. He then pulled out a switchblade with the hand that wasn't holding the stolen laptop, and whirled around to point it at the woman that was about to close the distance between them.

"Whoa boss, he's got a blade!" One of the security guards yelled to the woman.

She couldn't help but let a flicker of a smirk fall across her features as she felt her heart start to beat slightly faster in excitement. With one quick movement she spun and back kicked the knife out of his hand, keeping her circular momentum she grabbed his forearm whilst swiping her same kicking foot to the back of his knees, knocking him down where she quickly squatted to dig her knee into his back pinning him to the ground. "I used to protect the president of the United States," she informed her prisoner with pride, as the crowd applauded her performance.

The one uniform picked up the laptop that was now lying on the floor, "eh, Myka boss, I think you got another one broke."

"Well it's not like it's an artifact or anything," she huffed whilst hoisting the teen up to his feet.

"A what?"

"Oh, nothing, never mind."

"Hey, your soon to be, is standing over there," the same security guard gestured to the crowd. Myka turned her head as a sparkling grin broke across her face as her eyes fell unto a hansom man amongst the pack of onlookers.

"Hey, Jer, you mind taking him?" Myka asked the same uniform.

"You got it, boss," the man smiled as he grabbed the punk from Myka, "you go and enjoy your cake tasting."

"I'm not cake tasting, for your information, not every bride is seeing to wedding details at all times."

"Cutlery choosing?"

"Seating arranging," Myka muttered with a hint of embarrassment as she turned and made her way over to her fiancé. Her two employees chuckled at her behind her back in good fun where she chose to ignore them.

"Hey, Honey. You catch another bad guy?" the man grabbed her into his arms and kissed her gently, knowing they were in a public place, and, more importantly, her place of employment.

"Get a room," the other guard called out as they pushed the delinquent along towards the mall security area.

Myka broke their kiss as she smiled, "I'm gonna kill them."

He smirked at her deciding to ignore her comment, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah I will be, just got to go grab my stuff from the office."

"Well, I'll wait for you in the usually spot."

"Baskin Robbins?"

"You know I just can't seem to turn down the best banana split in all of Montreal," he smiled as he backed away into the now disbursing crowd.

"Hey Matt!" Myka called out to him after he turned his back to her.

"Yeah, yeah I'll make sure it has sprinkles and two spoons," he chuckled without looking back.

Myka giggled as she spun around towards her destination in the opposite direction as she headed out.

Myka was in her office alone, for that two of her staff members were in their makeshift interrogation room with their newly caught felon, and her other seven were out surveying in the mall. Myka scooped up her scheduling sheets that she was in the middle of doing before she had to abandon them due to the code red. Just as she finished tucking the papers into her briefcase a shiver rushed up her spine.

"Hello Myka," a familiar woman's voice echoed in her ears.

"Mrs. Fredrick," she said before turning to face her. "What are you doing here?"

"We require your assistance," she spoke with a hint of warmth but still in her usual stoic tone.

"My assistance?" she brought her hand to her chest, "you need my assistance?" she repeated in a humorous disbelief almost laughing at her request. "After four years of not needing my assistance, you come and ask me now! When I have a new life of my own, a job that I'm good at, and a wonderful fiancé that I'm about to marry in two weeks. Now you come and ask for my assistance?"

"Myka, please…"

"No! No, Mrs. Fredric. I mean no disrespect towards you it's just that I can't return there. It's not my life anymore, I've moved on."

"Agents Lattimer and Jinks are in trouble and require an agent with your skills and clearance to rescue them and prevent a threat of mass destruction."

"Pete's in trouble?" Myka's attitude instantaneously shifted as her face fell flush with concern towards her old partner.

Mrs. Fredrick simply nodded.

"Well what's wrong, is, is he gonna be okay?"

"That is up to you Myka; I honestly believe that you are the best chance we've got to make this whole situation right."

"I'll do it, whatever you need me to do, I'll do it." She said confidently, the only thing in her mind was the thought of Pete's life hanging in the balance. She may have not talked or seen him in over four years, but that didn't change the love she had for her big brother.

"Good," The woman in pink handed Myka an envelope. She took it and opened it.

"A plane ticket to Athens?"

"Yes, and from there a driver will take you to a private airstrip where one of our own will fly you to Plakias, Crete."

"Crete?"

"There you will be briefed."

Myka nodded her head almost in a daze as she was allowing her past to sweep her off and carry her away.

"Hopefully this will all run quickly and smoothly so that you will be back in time for your wedding."

"My wedding," she repeated as she forgot all about it, the thing that was number one on her mind for months now, had simply slipped out of her thoughts. Myka looked back down to the ticket in hand, the simple parchment that was about to take her back into her past. "Mrs. Fred…" she looked up to find the room empty once again. She let out a long sigh before heading out of her office, not looking forward to the conversation that she was about to have with Matt. She would have to lie to him and make up some excuse about helping a friend in need back home, which wasn't entirely untrue, but she had no chose but to deceive him; he had no knowledge of the warehouse. All he knew from her former life was that she grew up in a bookstore, went to university, and became a secret service agent. She never told him about her life as a warehouse artifact hunter.

A mere eighteen hours after her brief conversation with the Warehouse caretaker, Myka found herself walking around the Athens airport with her single duffle bag that she had checked as a carry on. She was ecstatic to be walking around after her extensive flight. She had flown to Greece once before, but she had stopped in Amsterdam to switch flights the last time, which apparently had made the biggest difference. However, she was glad that she flew Air Canada opposed to Air United. She despised Air United, a feeling that was shared with practically every other red-blooded American.

The curly haired brunette soon spotted, what looked like, a local man holding up a sign with her name written on it.

"Hello, I suppose it's safe to assume that you are my driver," she smiled at the man in khaki shorts and a red plaid shirt as she approached.

"No English," he spoke in a heavy Greek accent where he took her bag out of her hand abruptly.

"Oh… vous faire parle du français?" Myka asked hoping he could understand French, but she was met with a blank stare. "Never mind," she muttered to herself.

He brought her to his car and then shortly they were off on their way to her connecting flight. She hoped to God that he wasn't her pilot too. The man pulled into a property that merely consisted of a shed like hanger bay and a single paved airstrip with a small Cessna airplane already lined up on it. The land was surrounded by heavy foliage except for the end of the runway that was open to the sight of the ocean over a steep cliff.

Myka's chauffeur pulled in front of the open hanger door. Just as he parked and took the key out of the ignition, a gunshot and shattering glass were heard. Myka took a second to realize that there was a man standing just outside of their car holding a smoking gun; she then looked to her driver now collapsed on the wheel, head to the side revealing a dripping bullet hole in between his eyes.

"Get out!" The man grasping the gun called out in a thick Russian accent.

Myka slowly opened her door and climbed out with her hands in the air. Two more men walked up behind the first man, also packing, but fortunately they weren't pointing their firearms at her like the one was.

"So this is who they sent to try and stop us, a beautiful woman. I must admit I was planning on shooting you straight away, but now I'm seriously reconsidering." He licked his lips as he approached her with an animalistic look.

"Who are you and why did you shoot my driver?"

"Oh don't play dumb with me, princess," he thrust his gun into her shoulder as he aggressively cupped her ass making her jump a little in her spot. "Yes, I believe I will have fun with this one," he removed his groping hand to look to his smirking companions.

"Кто - то идет" one of the men shouted out whilst pointing a finger up towards a fast approaching zeppelin coming from the tops of the trees, sea bound. A faint figure was seen grasping onto a low hanging rope ladder that hung from the vessel who shot the pointing Russian right in the chest.

Myka acted quickly and performed the same move that she had done the day before, with the shoplifter, on the man next to her. Bang she heard another shot where her second Russian capturer fell to the ground, but just as she looked up to see him plummet, the man beneath her hoisted himself up as he backhanded her across the face causing her to fall to the ground, where he hovered over her aiming his gun at her head. He cocked the weapon about to pull the trigger. Then she swiftly swiped her foot, kicking his legs out and toppling him over. She scrambled for the gun as he pulled her back by the leg. Bang. Another shot was fired and the man's grip on her limb was lost.

The man passing a few meters by her on the ladder called out in a thick Liverpool accent, "Agent Bering, I suggest that you run if you want a lift."

Myka picked herself up off the ground and pushed her body into a sprint as she chased the quick moving ladder. Bang. a bullet whizzed past her body. Apparently, her new Russian friend didn't receive a death shot. Bang Bang Bang. The English man returned a series of shots. The ladder was growing closer, but unfortunately, so was the cliff edge. Bang. The Russian shot back. Myka pushed herself harder as the rope ladder cleared the cliff just a split second before she lunged off the edge. A strong hand grasped her arm and lifted her onto the ladder.

"Thanks," Myka huffed as she tried to catch her breath, "So… who are you?"

"Captain will explain," he spoke dryly; "Climb," he demanded as he started up towards the airship.

As confused, grateful, and out of breath as Myka was, she couldn't help but admire the beautiful Greek scenery that lay before her eyes as the aircraft gained more height. She then gazed up to the zeppelin that looked suspiciously similar to every picture of the Hindenburg. However, this one read LZ 130 Graf on the bottom envelope right above the engine nacelles. As she climbed closer she could see that the ladder hung from a balcony that attached to the aircraft's lower cabins, which appeared to be a much bigger area then the Hindenburg's cabins had. The brutish man reached the top where he shifted his body to fall on deck; he then extended his hand for Myka as he helped her up over the railing.

"Thanks," she said to the back of his head as he opened up the rusty hatch before proceeding to walk through the threshold wordlessly. Myka followed, mouth gaping at the sight in front of her. She was standing in what looked like the common room of the vessel, which was lined with large windows that were foggy around the edges due to age. There was a gathering of wooden chairs around two old wooden circular tables. There sat a few men who were in the middle of playing a poker game. To the bow was an open hatch, which led down into the gondola where control was, and to the stern, a heavy oak door lay that led to the individual cabins as well as the head, kitchen, and the engine room's access way.

A woman walked through the open port hatch; she was dressed in tight beige pants, with brown leather boots that came just shy of her knees. A white blouse was tucked into her trousers and her long midnight hair was bound in a braid that fell forward over her shoulder.

"Eh, Cap'in, we got ourselves a pretty little hitchhiker," one of the men playing cards laughed in a Scottish accent towards the raven haired woman who had just entered.

"Paul, would you be so kind and stop gawking towards our guest's beauty?" She ordered him whilst not taking her eyes off Myka, as she was also appreciating her loveliness. "Hello, Darling," her face sparkled, "I do hope you don't mind the liberty I took when I snatched you up, but I feared that you were beginning to play a little too roughly down there," she grinned at her.

Myka's face widened in a gasp as she let the woman's name fall out of her gaping mouth in a murmur, "Helena?"

 

"What are you doing here?" Myka fell out of her gawking trance and snapped at her in confusion as she felt intense anger, which she thought she was over regarding H.G., bubble up to the surface. How could that woman possibly hold that much power over her emotions that she could make her go from zero to sixty in less than a second?

"Well my team and I are on a delivery run bringing… well I suppose bringing you Myka Darling, an artifact to aid you with your mission," she smiled a little nervously at the brunette. "But before we got to our intended drop location, we received a distress call from the landing strip, so I decided to take a detour to see to your safe arrival."

"No I mean what are you doing here, like as in, here in the real world? Aren't you supposed to be behind bars, or incased in bronze or something?" she was half way to laughing as she tried to conceal her rage. All she wanted to do was slam that woman up against a bulkhead and strangle her once again for all the pain she had put her through. Her betrayal those few short years ago, stung fresh as she gazed upon her.

"Whoa cap'n she sounds rightfully pissed at cha," Paul, who Myka had already figured to be the crew's appointed shit disturber, chimed in.

"Give us the room," H.G. ordered in a commanding tone while not peeling her eyes off Myka. The room disbursed in hushed murmurs, "Williams," she called out again, "make certain they know that we've picked up their lost package and that it's in transit"

"Yes Ma'am," Myka's Liverpudlian rescuer from before, grunted as he left for command.

Once all the doors, including the outer hatch, were closed H.G. spoke again. "Look Myka I understand why you're upset and you have every right to be, and you probably have several questions for me, which I will graciously explain and…"

"What was the artifact?" Myka snapped dryly.

"What?"

"I really only have two questions for you Wells. One, what's the artifact that you're carrying for me? And two, how long until we get to Plakias, 'cause I really don't care much for my present company?

"Myka please will you just give me a chance here?"

"No," she said without hesitation, "I really don't want to deal with you and your crap right now. I just want you to get me to Crete, so that I can help Pete and then go back home to my wedding, where I'll never have to deal with Warehouse related issues again, which—by the way—includes you as well."

"You're getting married?" she asked Myka, as if she were a little child searching for a confirmation from her parents that her puppy was, indeed, dead after their family car accidentally backed up over him in the driveway.

"Yes H.G. I'm getting married next week," she confirmed in almost a taunt.

"Oh," she forced a smile, "well who is the lucky champ than?"

"His name is Matthew and what about the artifact?"

"Ah, yes the artifact," she mumbled in a small voice as she was mentally shifting gears, "Would you care to sit?" she walked over to the table that still had cards and poker chips sprawled across it, and pulled out a chair for her. "Oh, and to answer your second query; two hours and twenty minutes."

Myka didn't verbally respond to her, she just trudged her way to the table and pulled out a different chair on the other end and sat down. "Spill," she crossed her arms while shooting H.G. a cold stare as she followed the Victorian's movements, whilst she also sat down in the chair that she had intended for Myka, almost timidly.

"Johannes Gutenberg's Goggles"

"Gutenberg? As in printing press Gutenberg?"

"Precisely," H.G. smiled.

"I don't remember him wearing goggles," She responded almost sounding as is she were questioning H.G.'s sanity for implying that he lounged around in silly spectacles on a daily bases.

H.G. chuckled at her remark where Myka smirked for a split second, but unfortunately she knew that the other woman caught it, before she had the chance to wipe it off her face. "Gutenberg made a pair of goggles shortly after he invented the printing press. He realized that placing all those individual mirrored letter stamps on the machine was a tedious task, so he invented the goggles as an aid."

"What do they do?"

"They allow the wearer to gain greater concentration in whatever task they are performing." She laughed, "Now saying that aloud, I'm shocked that I didn't presume that they would have chosen you for this mission."

"Why? What is the mission?"

"I believe Artie was the one appointed to brief you."

"Artie's there, in Plakias?" her question was filled with guilt.

"Yes," she answered her gently, seeing the hurt in her eyes. "But if you wish it, I can brief you now, I don't see any harm in that." H.G. paused for a second where her mood shifted, "I mean, the faster you know the situation, the faster you can perform your job and run back home to your beloved Matthew," she said in a tone tainted with cynicism.

Just as Myka was beginning to feel at ease with this woman, it all came crashing down with that remark. "Yes, do brief me. I would very much like to get back to my Darling Matthew," she made sure to drag out the 'darling' just to cross her.

H.G. took a deep breath to simmer her anger towards Myka's remark and pushed herself to remain professional. "We discovered the location of The Fountain of Life."

Myka gawked, "You mean to tell me that The Fountain of Life actually excises?" H.G. smiled and nodded. "But how?…where?… in Crete? Does it actually give youth and everlasting life? This is unbelievable," Myka was fumbling through her words as she was trying to wrap her head around this newly presented information.

"You're taking this a lot better than I did," H.G. chuckled. "We're not sure exactly what the fountain's gifts are, but to the best of our estimations, it does indeed bring youth and longevity."

"Wow okay, so what does this all have to do with those Russians, Gutenberg's goggles, and me?"

"Those Russians were mafia, and they are also after the fountain."

"The Russian mafia! That's not good, that's not good at all, a power like that having access to those benefits."

"Yes that's exactly why Pete and Steve were sent to poison the spring."

"Steve," Myka dropped her head as she looked to her twirling thumbs, "that's who replaced me… when I left…Steve Jinks"

"Yes, the human lie detector, he's a good kid, but don't worry he's no Myka Bering," she smiled at her reassuringly once the brunette lifted her head up to meet her gaze.

Not wanting to dwell on her successor, or the smile she was getting for H.G., Myka moved on, "So… they were sent to poison the well, then what happened, what went wrong?"

"Well the fountain lies in the heart of The Labyrinth…"

"The Labyrinth!" She almost jumped out of her seat as she abruptly shifted her body forwards in her chair, "Like as in the Minotaur's maze-home, Labyrinth?"

H.G. smiled at her reaction, "Yes, but to the best of our knowledge there is no beast residing within the tunnel ways… well we hope not," she scrunched her face with a smile. Her demeanor quickly changed as her face fell serious, "The Labyrinth seems to have the ability to confuse and disorient people once they enter it. Technology doesn't work in the passageways either, so when one goes into the maze they are almost certain to get lost and roam the tunnels until death finds them."

"Oh, please tell me that they didn't go in there?"

"Steve… Agent Jinks used my Imperceptor Vest, hoping that if he moved fast enough he would not fall under the effects of the maze, but once he went in…"

"he never came out," Myka finished her sentence.

H.G. nodded her head, "after about twelve hours had past, Pete, being as stubborn as he is; went in after him. He was supposed to wait for a plan to be formed, but he entered the tunnels against Artie's orders, before we… Artie and I," she added for clarity, where Myka shook her head when trying to picture those two brain-storming together in a peaceful manner, "ah, before we had a chance to figure out the Gutenberg's Goggles idea to aid him."

"So they are both lost in there?" Myka asked in as heartbroken manner.

"Yes."

"How long has it been?"

"It's just coming up on twenty-seven hours for Pete making it… thirty-nine for Steve."

"Did they go in with canteens?"

"They did."

"Good," she sighed in relief. "Why couldn't they just go in with a spool of string to lead them back, like in the Minotaur myth?"

"That's what Pete did, but when Artie arrived at the sight, shortly after his flight from the U.S. had landed, which was about four hours after we're assuming Pete went in, he pulled at the string which came up empty. We think that the longer you're in there the more The Labyrinth hazes the mind. They are both likely to be experiencing hallucinations in there as we speak."

Myka dropped her head in her hands as she took in a deep breath whilst shaking her cranium. H.G. allowed her the time to sort her thoughts and emotions through, which she was grateful for. There was so much on her mind about her mission; about her old friends, and why the hell H.G. was reinstated, again, and now flying around in a Hindenburg class zeppelin. She pushed those queries off to the side as she allowed her focus to fall back onto the mission, After a few more moments Myka lifted her gaze to look to the other woman, "earlier you said that you were shocked that you didn't presume that I would be the one chosen for this mission."

"I did say that, yes."

"Why? I don't understand this, why couldn't you or one of your… men, or somebody else do this? Why me?"

"What do you mean, 'why you'? Is this not as plainly obvious to you as it is to me?"

"Apparently not," she answered in frustration.

"Myka we need somebody to wear the goggles who already has supernatural concentration and a flawless memory. Hell knowing you, you could probably navigate The Labyrinth without the help of an artifact," she chuckled at the idea.

"Oh don't be ridicules."

"I'm not; I'm just implying that if you are the one to go in, we are sensibly guaranteed a successful mission." Myka huffed as she hated how H.G. was complementing her; it was getting very difficult to stay mad at her when she carried on in such a way. "There are, however, repercussions from extended use of the artifact," H.G. said gravely, "The amount of energy one uses in concentration whilst using them, quickly drains the wearer's strength. It has been described in documents as bring one the feeling that their life is being sucked out of their body."

Myka merely nodded her head in understanding, trying not to think on it too much. She allowed her cheek to fall to rest on her fist when she wincing in pain from the backhand she had received earlier, "What about the Russian mafia?" she asked in a not so pleasant remembrance of them.

Just as H.G. was about to divulge more elaborately on the subject, Williams burst through the bow hatch, "Captain, we're picking up a fast approaching, military grade, radar signal from the east!"

H.G. Stood straight away and turned to him, "Is it them?"

He simply grunted a conformation.

"Damn, I was so hoping that we wouldn't cross their path."

"Cross whose path?" Myka asked as she too quickly stood.

"Your new friends of course," H.G. smiled at her whilst she promptly backed away to the stern access way, "This is where the fun begins Darling." She turned, opened the door, and hollered, "All hands on deck, we've got Russians!"

 

Almost immediately after H.G. called her men to order, a helicopter flew dangerously close passing over them. The two women along with Williams jerked their heads as they followed it from the port window to the starboard.

"Shit! Tell me that's not what I think it is," H.G. muttered, where Myka instantaneously felt her heart stop in a response to her tone. Merely seconds ago the Victorian was filled with confidence that seemed to have dissipated on sight of there enemy.

"An MI-24 Mil gun ship," Williams added in a tone that read a little perturbed, which would normally not bother one, but coming from the roly-poly man, it frightened the hell out of Myka.

"There is no way our weaponry will so much as leave a dent on that craft," H.G. pointed out the window, where the helicopter was still within view, as it turned its self to come back around. "Why haven't they shot us down yet?"

As if her question was being answered, another English man shouted from within the hatch that led to command, "Eh, Captain, they wanna speak with you!"

"I'll be right there," she called out, "wait Jeffery! Is that all they said?"

A slender man with strawberry blond hair poked his head out from the hatch behind Williams, "Ah well no, not exactly; The short form of their message was; Give us back our goggles or else well shoot you down, and we're not scared to look through the wreckage and rubble to find them if we gotta."

"So basically they're giving us the chose to get shot down before, or get shot down after, the exchange," H.G. nodded her head.

"Yup! Pretty much," the same man responded.

"Williams get the entire crew down to the engine room, Agent Bering included, we're executing Plan-V," H.G. instructed as she made her way to command.

"With all do respect Ma'am, have you lost your barking mind?" Williams spoke, wide-eyed, "none of that stuff has even been tested we…"

"Do you see any other viable option?" H.G. cut him off, "If you do, I'd love to hear it."

"No Ma'am," He along with H.G. locked gazes for a moment before they both disbursed in their opposite directions, after silently confirming that they were both on the same page.

"I'll stall them for as long as I can," She yelled back whilst disappearing threw the hatch and down into the gondola.

"Come along Agent Bering," he mumbled as she quickly fell in step behind him, leading them both through the wooden door.

"I'm not an agent," Myka muttered to herself, "not any more."

Myka was led down, along with five other crewmen, into the inner hull of the craft which housed a cluster of four engines. "Alright men, we're doing Plan-V," the whole crew froze and stared at Williams, "Come one move!" he clapped his hands together, "that's an order." They all snapped out of their fear trances and got to work.

Williams turned to Myka as he unscrewed a valve from a large fuel cell that sat beside one of the engines, "You see where their getting those from?" He gestured with his head towards a vault like housing box that sat against a far bulkhead where two crewmembers were taking small metal cylinders, about the size of ones forearm, out from it.

"Yeah," she nodded her head.

He then screwed a pipe into the fuel cell that connected to an injector, "Good, go get me one, and be carful not to disturb the contents of it while in transport."

She shot him a quick puzzled expression before running to the storage unit to fetch one, "holly crap," she muttered to herself before she very gently picked up the, highly explosive, nitro glycerin cell and walked quickly and carefully back to Williams. It was not until she passed one of the other engines, that the other crew members were seeing to, that she noticed that the other fuel that was hooked up to be injected into the engines was hydrogen peroxide.

"Are you crazy?" Myka spat out at Williams as she approached, "Why are we hooking up an unstable fuel and an even more unstable explosive into the ships engines, you do realize we're already hanging from a hydrogen thermite bag?

"Captain's orders," he said as a matter of fact while taking the nitro glycerin from her and quickly screwing it onto the other side of the fuel injector.

"What the heck is Plan-V anyway?" She asked aggregately.

"Plan-V-1 Flying Bomb," Paul said loudly from a neighboring engine where he was screwing in another nitro glycerin cell into that particular engine's fuel injector. "The original V-l prototype has de ability to generate a slipstream allowing de bomb to accelerate through it, but once de projectile hits terminal velocity de slipstream dissipates, making de bomb almost useless for its originally intended task."

"…okay that's interesting and all, but what the heck does it have to do with our current situation?"

"Well we strapped de prototype bomb to de front of de ship, inside de envelope."

"The prototype bomb?" Myka gasped.

"Yeah, making this entire craft one big ol' slipstream travelin' vessel."

"Yeah, if it doesn't blow up!"

"Yeah… well fingers crossed there," he smirked at her.

H.G. then came running into the room with a bunch of heavy duty headphones around her arms, "Everyone put one of these on, and make certain that they work." The crew started to take them one-by-one from her.

"Work," Myka whispered in confusion towards Paul.

"Yeah, when you turn dem on they make white noise," he explained.

"Why."

"Because," H.G. interjected, "we are about to strum The Sirens' Barbitos…"

"It's like a lyra," Paule whispers in her ear.

"…over the laud-speaker to lure the chopper closer on our six."

"Closer?" Myka practically yelled in horror.

"Yes," the Victorian smiled briefly towards the brunette before handing her her ear protection.

"Oh," it all clicked inside Myka's head after a moment, "You want them in close for when you ignite the engines. The shockwave would send them flying."

H.G. chuckled, "That's why you've always been my favorite; you're so very clever."

"Captain, you guys ready down there?" Jeffrey's voice emanated from a radio on H.G.'s belt.

She took the communicator in her hand and talked into it, "just about." She then looked to the rest of the crew, "Alright everybody, get yourselves strapped down." The crew disbursed around the room to various jump-seats that were attached to the bulkheads. Myka buckled herself into a chair that was just a little ways from H.G. where everyone else was clear across the room from them. "Everyone put on your headphones and turn them on," She yelled to get her order across the entire room where everyone complied, Myka then saw H.G. talk into her radio once again before putting on her own headphones.

After a short few seconds Myka spotted HG fidgeting with her ear-protection while wearing a worried expression on her face. Then the woman's face went expressionless as she calmly removed her earphones and her seatbelt as if she were is a trance. Myka quickly looked to the other men in the room to try and get their attention, but they didn't seem to notice either woman. H.G. then stood up and quickly walked to and up the stairs exiting the engine room, where Myka was quick to leap after her. The brunette caught up with her on the upper deck where H.G. was just about to open an outer emergency hatch that lead outside, and straight down to ones death. Myka lunged at her pulling her back before she could lift the door's lever. Just as she yanked her away the aircraft burst forwards knocking both women straight back into a wall, pinning them securely against the mass, both unable to move.

Myka had never experienced so much pressure and force on her as she had just then. It felt as if a heavy weight was crushing her chest making it hard to breath. After a few unbearable minutes the zeppelin abruptly halted which sent both women hard across the small room and into the bulkhead that lay mere meters away. H.G. crashed into it leading with her shoulder where Myka flew head first banging into it, knocking her headphones off.

Myka hit the floor hard as she blinked once lazily before darkness took her over.

H.G. slowly moved her hands beneath herself and pushed up off the floor where she cried out in pain, she sat up and crumpled over while holding her shoulder, when she looked down to it she saw that it had popped out of place. Soon hazed flashes of what had just happened sped through her head as she remembered following the most beautiful sound to her potential death. She then recalled Myka pulling her back before she had attempted to walk out of the ship to meat the fates themselves.

"Myka!" her head jerked up to spot the brunette laying still on the floor, "Myka? "She called again before dragging herself along the ground with her good arm. The woman was on her back with her head turned away from her. H.G.'s breath caught in her throat as a whirlwind of horrors blew through her mind. Did she have any broken bones? Was she paralyzed? Was she breathing? Did she have any brain damage? Oh God, was she dead?

The Victorian then notices Myka's chest rise and fall ever so slightly which brought some ease to her thoughts. "Myka?" she murmured through hot tears that she didn't realize that she was shedding while she gently cupped the brunette's chin bringing her head to face her, "Myka sweetie open your eyes and look at me," she gently caressed her cheek, "I know I haven't earned the right to ask of you for anything, but please, I beg of you, please open those beautiful emeralds of yours and look at me," she cried as her hand shook on her friend's face.

"Captain?" the same voice came from her radio, "eh captain, we have a bit of a problem, three of our four engines are burnt out."

H.G. shut her eyes hard as she felt her entire world, once again, crashing down on her. She gripped the back of Myka's neck as if she were her life-raft keeping her afloat as she tried to breath.

"Captain are you there?" came the same voice.

"Yeah, she's here," said Williams right behind his commanding officer as he spoke into his own radio, "What's the situation?"

"Ah, like I said, three of the engines are down, so we are slowly losing altitude. The good news is if we follow our current speed, our E.T.A. will be seven minutes, where I'm hopping that I'll be able to bring us in before we crash into the ocean."

"Copy that," he grunted into the communicator. He then bent down and with one swift motion grabbed H.G.'s shoulder and re-set it, where she cried out in pain at the moment it made a loud pop sound.

After a long growl of pain H.G. ordered through clenched teeth, "Make sure everything is dealt with accordingly."

Williams looked to her with an expression that said that he wanted to see to her well being, but he nodded in compliances knowing that she would not allow him to do anything otherwise. He then quickly left with another two crewmen that had just climbed the stairs and entered the room.

Myka lazily opened her eyes where she saw a blurred image of H.G. next to her looking towards Williams and two other men leaving through a doorway. The brunette lifted her heavy limb to rest her hand on the Victorian's face.

H.G. quickly whipped her head to look down to her, "Myka," she almost laughed through a cascade of tears where she was fast to grab her hand and push it hard against her mouth, kissing it with great relief. She then swiftly wiped her eyes, "Okay Darling, can you move?" Myka shifted her legs ever so slightly in her attempts, "that's good," she smiled in knowing that she did not receive any critical spinal damage. "Alright reach your arms out to me," she instructed where Myka complied and grabbed her shoulders. H.G. then wrapped her arms around her back and hosted her up into a sitting position while wincing in pain, where H.G. held her tight in her embrace. "Are you alright Darling?" she asked while pushing Myka's curls out of her face. Myka only nodded, evidently still in a lightheaded daze. "You saved my life," H.G. locked eyes with her, "thank you."

"Well I didn't really want to get caught up in the paperwork that ensues after a fellow agent falls to their death," she said while breaking eye contact as she was quickly coming out of her trance like state.

"Right," H.G. mumbled in a hurt voice, "Well let's get you up, you've got a job to do when we land in a few minutes," she stood to her feet while pulling Myka along with.

Myka then took note to her surroundings when she reached for a wall to stabilize herself after removing herself from the other woman's arms, "speaking of landing, why does it feel like we're descending so quickly?"

"Oh, because we are, it's going to be bit of a crash landing."

"A what?" Myka yelled in high anxiety.

"Oh don't be so dramatic, we've still got one engine, and we're in a zeppelin, so it's not like we're falling out of the sky in an airplane, or anything to that crucial degree"

"Oh I'm dramatic," Myka laughed in shock, "I'm not the one who is carrying nitro glycerin AND hydrogen peroxide fuel on an AIRSHIP!"

"Well it seemed to have saved your life," she muttered to herself.

"Okay, everybody, ya better strap yourselves down, we're going in hot," the voice instructed through H.G.'s radio.

"Thank God," they both mumbled to themselves in unison, in response to the interruption. They both would have rather experienced an emergency landing than continue their banter.

H.G. then turned and walked away in the direction of command, not saying a word. Myka didn't know if she was supposed to follow. She crossed her arms whilst letting out a growl of frustration, deciding no to chase after her like a stray dog. She then spun around and made her way back down the stairs, with quite some difficulty due to the ship being at such an intense angle. When she arrived back into the hull she found her same seat from before and buckled herself in quickly.

They were falling fast now; Myka's stomach felt like it was flying up inside her body. She speedily brought her head down and hugged her legs tight as the airship made contact with the ground; her body banged the back of her seat as her grip broke during their initial touchdown. They bounced twice before skidding to a stop. "Well I guess we didn't hit the water," she said to herself aloud with a smirk.

"Nope, we sure didn't… not like de last time at least," Paul smirked from across the room at her. She didn't even take note to the others in the giant engine room with her until just than.

"Paul, is Agent Bering down there with you?" H.G.'s voice came through his radio.

"Yep," he said after he grabbed his radio, "you sure know how to show a girl a good time there Cap'n," he smiled at Myka.

H.G. apparently let that remark slide when she answered, "bring her off the ship, I'm already on my way out."

"On it," he said before putting his radio back onto his belt before leading Myka out a hatch where they had to climb down via rope ladder.

When Myka was safely on the grass she looked around at her surroundings, they were in a large field that was actually quite a ways off from the water; there were a few giant skid marks in the ground where the earth was ripped up from their emergency landing. Inland lay a large building, which appeared to be a small resort hotel, and just past the structure lay a gathering of small rocky foothills. "That's were de entrance into De Labyrinth lies," Paul informed her as he noticed her eye line, "that hotel up there has been rented out and is serving us as home base for de duration of the mission."

Myka merely nodded her head as they walked around the side of the craft where they soon caught sight of H.G. talking to a short and stout man, whose back was to them. Myka gulped, she knew that brown coat and that messy wiry hair.

"You know Helena; it doesn't look good on your evaluation when you crash the only Hindenburg class ship in existence, twice in a single year."

H.G. chuckled, "Oh come now Artie, you and I both know that they will do nothing about it. Merely frown and grumble and that'll be that; just like the last time."

He let out a chuckle of his own, "Yeah, you're probably right."

"Oh I got you something," H.G. handed him a small beige sac where he took it and opened it before inhaling the sent of its contents.

"Gah- that smells good."

"Fresh from Columbia, just as you like it."

"You are a godsend, you know that?"

Myka shook her head in disbelief, "Did I just step into the twilight-zone or something?" she muttered to herself.

"Myka?" Artie questioned before turning around to see his former agent standing behind him. "Myka," he said again in shock, "Wha- How-," he turned back to H.G., "is she the agent they picked for the mission?" H.G. nodded before he whipped his head back to the American woman putting on a genuine smile. "How are you doing kiddo?" He asked with purpose before hugging her.

Myka let out a relived laugh as she threw her arms around him, "fine Artie, I'm really doing fine, good actually," her tone fell grave, "…well I'm doing better than Pete for sure."

Artie pulled her away, but still grasped her shoulders, "yeah, hey, but we're going to make it all alright. Okay?" Myka nodded her head while trying to suppress her tears. "Do you think that you'll be ready to go into the tunnels right away, I mean we're kind of on the clock here?"

"Yeah I'm ready."

"That's my girl," he smirked before patting her shoulders and turning back to H.G.

"I'll let you two go at it," H.G. smirked at Artie where her gaze soon drifted to Myka's. They locked eyes, both expressionless, not really knowing where they stood with the other.

"Good luck with your ship," Artie huffed with a smirk.

H.G. broke eye contact with the brunette and looked back to him, "You know I will," she smiled.

"Come on Myka, we better get in there," Artie instructed.

Myka nodded and followed after her former boss, she glanced over her shoulder where she saw H.G. watching her. Myka's heart broke in seeing her expression, she looked sad; as Myka assumed that she herself probably appeared to look as well. She hated herself in that moment for acting with such cruelty towards her former best friend.

"Here," Artie passed her Gutenberg's Goggles, which snapped her out of her train of thought. She took them while trying to mentally ready herself for her mission. Her focus was now primarily on Pete. She would, indeed, save his life and complete the mission, she just had to.

 

Myka was being led by Artie to the cave's entrance that would allow her access into The Labyrinth. The dwelling lay just beyond a small, but dense gathering of trees and up a narrow cliff path that was just across the street from their headquarters, a mere kilometer away. She gasped at the camouflage of its doorway, Artie seemed to have phased right through a rock wall where she was slow to follow through the mirage of the solid mass.

"So this is it, the entrance to the all mighty Labyrinth?" Myka said just as she passed through the threshold, "Not exactly what I was expecting," she surveyed the larger foyer like cave that tapered off into a smaller tunnel way at the back, which led into the maze.

"Yeah, actually there are a bunch of these entranceways hidden all along the foothills around here that all lead into different sections of the maze," Artie explained as he took his Tesla from his hip and passed it to her, "just in case."

Myka grabbed it and shoved it into the back of her pants, "What about the poison? Should I not take an extra vile of it in with me, you know, just in case I reach the fountain before I find the guys?"

"Yeah see there's a problem there. It's not a poison, it's a poisons artifact, and Steve has it with him."

"An artifact?"

"Yeah, it's an iridium coin that was found at ground zero, weeks following the A-bomb destruction in Hiroshima. It has a Zen Buddhist saying on it: もし我々の愛がただ所有するべき意志に過ぎないなら、それは愛ではありません"

"Yeah Artie, I must admit, my Japanese is a little rusty," she said sarcastically.

"If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love."

"…okay, so what does that have to do with its poisoning abilities?"

"Oh, nothing… well I guess there is some irony to it, but I was just simply telling you what the artifact was." Myka cocked her head to the side and squinted her eyes at him, "Okay, yeah, you're right." He continued in his explanation making sure to only go over the relevant information, "So after the dense metal was exposed to the bomb's high radiation levels, it transformed the coin's molecular structure, giving it the ability to turn organic matter radioactive, but only when using water as a conductor."

"Whoa, okay, let me get this straight. So you're saying that this coin can turn other people radioactive?"

"Yes, among other living things."

"But is the coin radioactive?"

"No, see like I said; if it's exposed to water and then a being touches the water that has been contaminated by the coin, then and only then will they become radioactive… and then they would eventually die from their own radioactive bodies." Myka merely nodded her head in both shock and understanding. "Speaking of the coin," he pulled out a small puck shaped glass object from his bag and handed it to the brunette where she took it. "An Atlantean Personal Force-Field. Claudia rigged it to go off if you get exposed to the coin's abilities."

"Atlantean? As in Atlanteans from Atlantis?" Myka spat out in shock, "surely you're joking me?"

Artie only chuckled, "If the field goes off, you physically can't leave its containment, however objects can pass in and out freely, and other organic beings can enter it, but once they're inside…"

"…then they become exposed to radiation, and therefore cannot leave it either," Myka finishes his explanation where the old man nodded his head.

"All of us are carrying one of these around, just for safety measures."

"Is there an antidote or cure if one of us does get exposed to the coin's abilities?"

"Yeah, well we needed to make sure that our poison was obscure enough that people couldn't generate their own cures, so yes, there is an antidote but it has to be made by use of another artifact, which we have possession of."

"What's the artifact?"

"The personal wine goblet of Julius Cesar, that then later on became, Caesar Augustus's as well. It's made up of lead along with another unique metal. This cup has been speculated of being the cause for Caesar Augustus's sterility and also the reason for why Julius Caesar, a great philanderer, only fathered one child. Vanessa discovered if she mixed the cure inside the cup and allows it time to sit within it, the metal actually gives the medication the ability to neutralize the radioactivity in a person."

"That's great."

"Yeah, the only down side is that the antidote doesn't keep for that long. Also it takes a while for it to sit and cure in the cup, and the goblet only allows for one treatments worth at a time to be made."

"Do we have any treatment now?"

"We will in a few hours, we've got a batch sitting at the moment."

"Well that's a relief to hear."

Artie smiled at her, "Yeah." He then shifted his gaze to the maze entrance, "So you ready to go? Got your goggles?"

"Yeah," Myka slid them over her eyes as she tucked her shield emulator inside her front pant pocket. "Don't I need a flash light of something?"

"No, the tunnels should already be lit." Myka gave him a puzzled expression where he chuckled, "I haven't the slightest idea how. Oh and if you do find the chamber where the fountain lays, try taking off the goggles. We think the disorientating effects are minimal in the centre room there, I mean there's no point in you having to wear them any longer than necessary."

Myka nodded with a slight smirk where Artie returned the gesture and facial expression before she turned her back to him and entered the tunnel way into the maze.

When Myka began walking the passageways her senses were automatically overwhelmed, the tunnel she was traveling down was narrow, but at the same time it was wide, there was a haze along the ground, but it was clear and invisible as it was also heavy and murky. There was illumination, but she couldn't tell where it was coming from, it just was, almost like the air itself was the light, not that it was a bright one, but just enough for her to see where she was going. The brunette could hear something, but she didn't hear it with her ears but with her entire being, like a high pitched screeching, with contradicted the silence that was met with her ears. She felt truly disoriented despite the fact that she was wearing Gutenberg's Goggles. She couldn't even fathom walking around without them like Pete had done while in search for his lost partner.

Myka walked straight, turned left, then right, curved around a corner, then another, she hit a dead end, then another, dead end after dead end, she walked and walked, all while putting to memory every step she took. She couldn't tell how long she'd spent roaming the maze; it was as if her sense of time had dissipated, it could have been minutes it could have been hours. Her feet were slowly beginning to grow heavier, and her mind was starting to haze, but she kept pushing herself forwards.

Right, right, straight, left, No! Dead end, turn back, left, right, straight, remember, remember, remember. She could feel her life force starting to falter as her energy was quickly draining from her body due to the goggles. Left, straight, left, remember.

Myka stopped dead in her tracks as she could have sworn she heard something, the sound was at the tip of her mind, but she couldn't register it. But something told her it wasn't right.

She then saw a dark figure scathe past a tunnel in her peripheral.

"Peeete?" She called out before gulping dryly. She then moved towards where she saw the movement. "Pete? Agent Jinks?" She hollered out again.

Just as she rounded the corner a dark fast approaching cloud of haze rammed into her and sent her flying across the way and into the ground, knocking off her goggles where they fell a couple meters away from her. It was the strangest feeling, as if a cold black nothingness hit her, where the only pain she received was when she hit the stone ground; banging her knee up pretty good.

She lifted her upper body off the rock surface, forcing her eyes open, but without the goggles she was bombarded with visual haze and white noise with interjecting sounds similar to the voices of a crowd of people. The tunnel way felt as if it were in motion, making Myka feel nocuous.

Here head then whipped around as she heard a distinctive growl as the darkness came swiftly towards her for a second attack, but just as it was about to make contact with her, a young boy stepped in between her and the figure. The small lad came from behind Myka, or at least that's what she thought, not that direction was making any sort of sense to her at that moment. He then scraped a swords blade on the ground in front of them where a bright yellow light shone from the scratch and created a wall of light which scared off the darkness.

After the golden light faded the boy turned around, and without so much as a look of acknowledgment towards Myka, he walked away, seemingly unaffected by The Labyrinth's disorienting attributes.

"Hey wait!" Myka called out before she slowly crawled over to her goggles, but just as she was about to put them back on, she vomited… no she didn't vomit she realized after slipping on her eye-wear recognize that she had only imagined throwing up. What else did she imagine, she wondered? The brunette picked her heavy body up off the ground before noticing that she was standing right beside a canteen. She snatched it up from the ridged floor, recognizing it as Pete's.

Myka then began moving forwards almost toppling over with exhaustion. She had to turn back. Would she even have the strength to get back? The brunette changed her heading as her body fought her every step of the way, wanting desperately to just sink down to the ground and sleep. Her mind was slurring as she was trying to retrace her steps. Right, right, strait, No, right, right, left, strait. She pushed herself, feet dragging. The tunnel ways felt as they were closing up all around her. Her body was falling against the walls as she dragged herself along.

"Artie?" She murmured as she saw her boss's face. She was confused as to why he was in the maze with her; she approached him; her body falling over where he was quick to catch her. Only until then did she realized that she was back out of the tunnels.

"Whoa there Myka," he steadied her, where he was swift to remove her goggles.

"Artie?" she slurred.

"Yeah, yeah I'm here." She looked at him through droopy eyes. She then felt him take something out of her hand, not that she could remember what she was holding. "Pete's canteen," he looked to the brunette, still steadying her with his one hand on her shoulder. "Did you see him? No of course you didn't, or I guess you could have and you needed help getting him back..."

"Artie," Myka mumbled.

"Yeah"

She dropped her head and shook it, "no Pete, nothing... I think, I can't think, lay down, can I lay down?"

"Do you, ah do you remember where you found the canteen at least?"

Myka shook her head once again, "sleep," was the only word that fell out of her tiered mouth.

Artie huffed at the lack of information he was getting from her. "Okay Myka, come on, lets get you back to the hotel," he instructed after realizing that she was about to crash.

Myka could barely remember the walk back, but what she did recollect was that it was now dusk. Artie helped Myka to the elevators in the lobby, when he pressed the call button; the door opened straightaway revealing Mrs. Fredrick inside of it.

"It's alright Arthur, I'll take Myka up. I already have some other business to see to up there anyway."

"But I don't mind, really," he sounded more insistent than his words were, his tone imitating an over protective father's.

"Arthur, I need for you to go supply Well's crew with shield emulators right away."

Artie grumbled something in response, but Myka's tiered focus missed it all together. The brunette stepped into the elevator and allowed her body to fall to one of the corners of it for support. She didn't realize that they had traveled to another floor until the door had opened, exposing H.G., where she walked inside the elevator to join them. Myka, peering through slit eyes, caught and registered the concerned look coming from her former best friend when she gazed toward her.

"Just the agent I wanted to see," Mrs. Fredrick responded to the Victorian. "You're craft is up and running I hear."

"Yes, well somewhat," H.G. responded, her focus now on the caretaker.

"Good, I want you and your team to head out then, and proceed with your original mission."

The door opened yet again to a new floor just as H.G. responded, "Yes Ma'am."

Myka could barely think, let alone understand everything that was going on around her, all she knew to be true was that H.G. was leaving, and for some reason that realization made her body push itself off from the wall and practically lunge for her. H.G. was quick to turn and catch her before she toppled over. The Victorian grasped her securely around the waist while pushing her firmly against the wall once again. "Don't leave me," Myka mumbled while clinging to the other woman as tightly as her weak body would allow her to do so.

H.G. turned her head to Mrs. Fredrick, "Is it possible for…"

Mrs. Fredrick raised her hand to silence her while she stepped out of the elevator and pushed the close door button, to give then some privacy.

Just as the door closed H.G. leaned into Myka and captured her lips in her own. Myka relaxed her entire body into her and lazily kissed her back. Her mind was a blur but her body finally had a sense of feeling, the brunette opened her mouth slightly wanting H.G.'s very essence to flow right inside of her, the airship captain was making her tired heart pound and her numb flesh tingle. But just as Myka longed for H.G. to deepen their kiss, the author pulled away, whilst pushing Myka back against the wall. Myka forced her heavy eyelids open as she gasped in a slight slur, "What was that for?"

"That was goodbye Myka," H.G.'s eyes were welled up with tears. "We've each got a job to do and separate lives to live." She turned around and opened the door revealing Mrs. Fredrick still there awaiting them. "I wish you a long and happy life Myka Bering," the Victorian looked to her over her shoulder, face grave, before exiting.

Mrs. Fredrick reentered the elevator and pressed a floor number which then closed the door. "Let's get you to a bed so that you can rest for a while before heading back into The Labyrinth."

From that point on, Myka remembered nothing, all she knew was that she now currently found herself in a bed, sheltered in a blanket, crying. She cried for Pete, she cried for H.G. and she cried for Matthew, the man she loved and was about to marry. Her chest felt heavy with guilt for allowing herself to be kiss by another. Her tears fell harder where she soon cried herself to sleep.

 

Myka awoke to sunlight abruptly falling onto her face. She forced her heavy eyes open to see a figure walking away from the, now drawn, blinds in her hotel room. The person then meandered over to her before gracefully sitting on the edge of the bed next to her. Myka couldn't help but smirk when she recognized the person as Dr. Vanessa Calder.

"Good morning Myka," The doctor spoke in her usual peaceful voice.

"Morning," the brunette mumbled out before a yawn. "It's nice to see you again."

The older woman smiled, "likewise." She then reached into her bag that she had in hand and pulled out her blood pressure gauge and her stethoscope. "I hope you don't mind, but I just want to give you a quick look over. Those goggles sure did a number on you yesterday."

"No that's fine," Myka pushed her tiered body up into a sitting position.

"So, how are you feeling all-in-all?"

"I'm okay now. I was just tiered but I'm good to go back as soon as I can." Myka scanned the room, which was actually just a room attached to a larger suite. "Where's Artie?"

Vanessa chuckled when hearing her question, "He's practically pacing outside your room, chomping at the bit to ask you about yesterday."

"You can let him in, I don't mind. Actually, it would be faster if I talk to him while you do your examination."

"You do know this is Artie we're talking about right? I won't be able to work with him franticly asking you questions," the blonde smiled.

Myka smirked back at the woman, "So, you then Artie?"

The doctor smiled and bowed her head in agreement; understanding that Myka was probably just as eager to get on with the mission as Artie was. The older woman quickly checked up the brunette and concluded that she was fine to go back into the Labyrinth that day. When she had finished her analyses, Myka thanked her and watched her leave as she sent in a frazzled Artie.

"Hey Myka," he bustled over to her, "You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine," Myka responded from the bed, sitting up against the headboard.

Her late boss filled the position at the side of her bed where the doctor was previously sitting. "So, ah, do you remember what you saw in there?"

Myka took a second to respond, "Ah, yeeeah," she tilted her head to the side as if what she was about to say, she wasn't sure if she believed it herself. "I think I saw a little boy in there Artie. And I'm pretty sure he had a sword. But I don't know," she shook her head as she second guessed herself, "maybe there wasn't a boy… I don't know."

"Ah," The man brought his hand to his goatee and scratched it, "They did get their hands on him. This is not good."

"What?" Myka looked to him in confusion, "There was one? I didn't imagine him?"

"No, no, both sides have been looking for this boy. But I guess they were successful in locating him where we weren't."

"I don't understand. Who is he?"

"There had been rumors of an orphan boy in China somewhere, who has a severe case of asperger syndrome. His disorder gives him perfect concentration. It was said that his village was being pillaged, and his parents were killed right in front of him. But the boy was busy doing school work and had only looked up and noticed his dead family when he had completed his assignment."

"Wow," Myka muttered. "So the maze's effects would be nonexistent to him… But wait," she yanked her head back in thought, "He noticed me enough to save me. With his sword, he saved me from… something."

"Something?" Artie's interest perked, "What something?"

"I- I don't know," Myka fumbled her words just as her thoughts were. "I just remember… blackness. A cold blackness." She then eyed the man, "Artie, there is something in there."

His eyes grew, "So the place is protected by the Minotaur."

"The kid stopped it though. His sword it like made a wall or something with light,"

"Theseus's Sword," the man muttered as his mind connected the dots. "Theseus's Sword was one of the artifacts that McPherson sold from the Warehouse a few years back."

"And according to Greek Mythology, Theseus was the one who killed the Minotaur," Myka pointed her finger as she too was beginning to understand.

"So the sword has the ability to ward off the Labyrinth's security mechanism. Whatever it is exactly." The man then looked to his former agent, "So you said the boy saved you?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if he did it for my benefit or if he just happened to be there and did it for his own survival," the woman then shifted gears in her brain as confusion took over, "so the boy is helping the mafia? Is he their prisoner or something?"

"My guess is that the boy doesn't quite understand his situation, for all we know they could be keeping him with video games and junk food."

"So not that different from Pete then?" Myka smiled where she got a chuckle out of Artie. But her face soon grew grave; for all she wanted to do was to get up and dressed before going back out there to find her old partner and Jinks.

"Myka."

"Yeah?"

"You found Pete's canteen."

"That's right I did," she responded in recollection.

"But you didn't see…"

"Pete?" Myka interrupted him, "No, but I want to go back to that area again today and continue looking."

The man nodded and patted her leg that was still underneath her blanket before getting up, "I'll ah, let you get dressed –changed, um yeah," He then awkwardly left her room allowing her to get ready, where Myka couldn't help but smirk towards her quirky former boss. There was just so much she wanted to ask him about his own life, and the rest of the Warehouse. Claudia had popped into her mind more than once since she started her adventure, but she hadn't had the time to ask about her or anybody else for that matter.

Myka then threw her blanket off from herself and speedily went towards the washroom, making hast in her efforts of getting ready; wanting to go back into the Labyrinth as soon as she possibly could.

 

Myka walked into the tunnels of the Labyrinth once again, determined to make her way back to where she was the day prior to, as quickly as possible. She kept a watchful eye out for the Minotaur, not that she had any sort of ease; it was more of an intent of a cautious eye, for that the women could barely function navigation, let alone keep her wits up for a monster of the shadows.

Here pace was quicker this time in the maze; she now had a destination and an enemy to avoid. Sooner than she thought possible she stumbled upon the spot where she had found both Pete's canteen and the young boy. Out of sheer recollection towards her attacker, she pulled her Tesla knowing that it would probably serve little purpose against the cold dark mass of nothingness, but she still felt slightly more secure with it in her grasp.

Myka surveyed the area, finding nothing additional to the water reserve she found earlier. The only thing she saw were bare walls making up endless passageways; the same kind she had just come from, and most likely, the same kind that she would see as she continued further. So the woman had no chose but to press on, feeling her body becoming heaver as she went along.

She pushed her mind just as much as her body; memorizing every turn as she had done for the entirety of being within the maze. Left, left, straight, left, right She repeated in her head as she went; tacking on an additional direction at the end whenever she deviated course.

"Pete!" Myka called out as she went, hoping to increase her chances of locating him. But she was met with silence to every one of her hollers.

Her vision was now beginning to fall as it had the day before, but she refused to turn back. She couldn't, she was not about to leave Pete or Jinks in the Labyrinth for another day. They had already been in their too long. So the determined women kept pushing forwards, even against her own logic to turn back.

"Pete!" Myka continued to call, realizing that she grew wearier by the fact that her former partner's name was starting to slur from her mouth

"You are seeking the man whom has lost his sense of reality, correct?" Myka heard a child's voice from behind her where she spun around in reaction. There standing before her was that same boy that saved her from yesterday, but only then did she notice his Asian descent.

"Wha- how… y- you speak English?" Myka stuttered over her surprise in seeing the boy there, standing with his sword sheathed on his back.

"Yes I speak English, along with seven additional languages," The boy, of whom looked to be around thirteen, spoke stoically.

"Oh," the brunette then muttered, "That's only like a few more than me," she cocked her neck to the side and went bug-eyed in slight awkwardness.

"Yes, well I seem to be approximately a third of your age, so unfortunately if we are trying to compare intelligence I am…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Myka waved her hand in annoyance, to silence the boy. "And for your information, you are Not a third of my age," she said in offence.

"I apologize if my initial analyzes and estimation of your age was incorrect. I was merely gauging your body's period in degeneration by your lateral canthal epidermal furrows."

Myka gasped as she threw her hand up, that wasn't holding her Tesla, to cover the edge of her left goggle's lens. "I do not have crow's feet!" She then shook her head to drop the irrelevant topic before asking; with much curiosity, "wait, did you say that you saw a man in here?"

"No," the boy simply stated with no emotion.

"Then how do you know that I am looking for…" She quickly recalled what he had said and quoted back to him, "a man whom has lost his sense of reality?"

"I was informed that you are seeking the Fountain of Life," he began to explain from his same stilled location in the tunnel, "Therefore I deducted by the shouting's, belonging to both you as well as the demented man, that you are also intending to locate that said man on your endeavour. Am I incorrect in presuming this to be true?"

"No- what- wait- you said that you heard him shouting?"

"Yes."

"But you didn't see him?"

"That is correct. He was on the other side of a barrier in a tunnel adjacent to my own. I was not yet intending to venture that far north within that particular time. That would have been external to my Sector Search Navigational Pattern."

"Well can you take me to him?" Myka implored.

"No," he answered simply.

"Why not?"

"Because it would be external to my Sector Search Navigational Pattern," he repeated. "If you desire it, you may follow me until I reach the specified coordinates in my search pattern."

"How long will you be?" Myka let the idea work its way through her mind.

"Estimation would be approximately twenty minutes, but it's impossible to say for certain for that I have not navigated over the 120 degrees angle from my appointed starboard marker hitherto."

Myka shook her head in confusion, assuming that he was referring to his selected navigational route and search parameters. "Wait," the brunette cocked her head to the side, "why are you offering to help me? Do the Russians know that I'm in here? Did they tell you to trick me or something?"

"No, they have no knowledge of yesterday's proceedings within The Labyrinth pertaining to you."

"You didn't tell them that you saw me?"

"No."

"Why?"

The boy stared at her blankly before responding, "They never asked if I had seen any persons while inside the passageways."

"So they have no knowledge that I'm in here?"

"That is correct, but they are suspicious towards the Canadian woman and her artifact goggles."

"I'm American."

"Really? The boy's voice went up an octave in surprise, "You speak with a maritime accent though." The boy tilted his head in contemplation, "Curious."

Myka then also tilted her head to the side with a somewhat confused smile on her face where she looked at him, but for the first time she really looked and saw the child that stood before her. She then holstered her Tesla before asking, "What's your name?" She smiled warmly towards him.

"My English name is John," the boy responded like every other time she'd asked him a question.

"Are they hurting you John? The people who are holding you, are they hurting you" Myka spoke softly.

The boy tilted his head to the side in perplexity over the strange question. "No," he said.

"Why, may I ask, are you helping them then?"

"I was assured that they would enroll me at Eldgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich when I turn sixteen. It is also agreed upon that they are to cover the entirety of my tuition and lodging, no matter how many doctorates I obtain during my time at the institution."

"You don't have to help them you know. I can hook you up with a great university too if you'd like?" Myka hoped to persuade the boy to leave the mafia's care.

"No thank you, I am very satisfied with my current arrangements."

Myka nodded sadly as she was forced to grab at the wall next to her to steady herself while a head rush took her balance. "John?" Myka massaged her temple as a headache was quickly forming. "Do you think that you can tell me how to get to the man that you heard earlier?" Myka asked in realizing that she had little time before she'd crash again.

"Down this corridor, east. Go straight for 138 metres turn left, then a hard right almost directly after. Once past that point I am unfamiliar with the terrain, but his location will be due north from that position.

Myka nodded her head and hoped to God that she could tell which direction north would be by that point. The boy seemed to be perfectly capable in deciphering direction, where she, on the other hand, was starting to get confused on right and left. "Thank you. Thank you for this and for saving my life yesterday," she smiled as best she could; her body quickly draining itself of energy due to the goggles.

She hated herself for leaving the boy, she should have been dealing with the fact that he was under mafia control and also that he was on the opposite side as her. But she didn't have the time to do anything about it in her current muttered state, so she simply pushed her body forwards, trying desperately to follow the boy's directions.

'Turn left, turn left, turn left,' Myka repeated over and over again in her head as the walls felt as they were closing in around her. She moved through the dark passage way, passing tunnels intersecting her own path. She nervously bit at her fingertips, scared that she was supposed to be turning down one of them that she had walked by.

"Has it been a hundred and thirty eight metres yet?" She muttered to herself as she continued straight.

Then Myka could have sworn she saw something move at the corner of her eye, so she quickened her pace. She walked for a short amount of time before feeling a cold rush of air fall down her neck, which made her jump in response and twirl around. A dark shadow climbed up the wall about three metres behind her.

"Damn it," She said before turning back around and making a full run for it. A growl echoed in the small underground confinement, and soon she could swear that the beast's tremors were getting loader, as if it were chasing her.

She ran until she saw a passageway on her left. "Oh, I hope this is it," she panted under her breath while making the turn. She almost laughed in mid run when seeing a right turn practically straightaway, just as the boy had said. She whizzed down the conjoining passageway, picking up speed after rounding the corner. Myka pushed her body as hard as she could while feeling the cold air harsher on her back; as if the darkness was right on her heals.

But then her heart stopped as she could see that she was speeding to a dead end. "No! No! No!" Myka yelled as she raced closer to the wall that would hinder her escape. She quickly closed in on the rock mass and fell against it, huffing as she turned around to meet her demise. The dark cloud was mere metres away. The woman put her arm out to the side wall to help steady herself while her other hand reached for her Tesla, but just as she was about to meet hand with stone, her body fell through the mass. She landed on her shoulder on the other side of the wall. It was like the same wall the concealed The Labyrinth from the exterior. Myka quickly pointed her Tesla at the wall, expecting the shadowed Minotaur creature to follow her through, but instead it cried out on the other side of the barrier before growing silent.

"It can't get in here," a man's voice said weekly.

Myka strained her head to see who was talking and where she was. She found herself in a large cavern with reflections of moving water cast across the walls in aqua blue from a flowing spring that poured out from one of the walls, flowing into a clear pool of water. She then saw a body lying at the far end of the enclosure.

Myka picked herself up off the ground; her eyes fixed on the person sprawled out on the stone surface. "Peete?" She called out.

The man barely got out, "No, it's Steve,"

Myka started for the man when all of a sudden a hunk of rock fell from the ceiling of the cavern, almost crashing on her head, but instead falling right at her feet. The woman looked up seeing that the entirety of the cave was quickly cracking and crumbling. She then noticed little bugs scurrying across the walls. "What's going on here?" Myka wondered out loud as her eyes grew in concern before jogging to kneel beside Jinks. She whipped off her goggles placing them to the side, remembering that Artie had told her to do so when she reached the fountain.

"Hey," She helped Jinks up into a sitting position, "Are you alright? I'm Agen- I mean, I'm Myka, Myka Bering, I'm sure you've heard of me," She smiled tightly. "Have you seen Pete?" She couldn't help but ask about her old partner right away. The man just shook his heavy head before Myka's gaze snapped up in response to the roof above them hastily eroding away; showering them in rock crumbles. She then looked back to the agent and asked, "Did you throw the coin into the well yet?" but just as she had gotten the question out of her mouth, she saw the gold currency laying on the ground next to him. She quickly forced a smile before picking it up and walking the short distance to the water. Then, without hesitation, she threw it into the centre of the pool. The artifact sank deep down into the depths of the well as it turned the water into a slightly darker greenish colour.

"What are you doing? Stay back from there! Step away from the Fountain, you can't have it!" Jinks mumbled from behind her.

"What?" Myka turned around to find the man wobbling to his feet while pointing his gun at her. "Whoa there," Myka threw up her hands in surrender, "Listen Agent Jinks, I'm not here to take from the fountain. I'm on your side. Artie sent me in here to…"

"Shut up!" he yelled at her, "Don't try to trick me, I can tell when people are lying." He growled through clenched teeth before firing his pointed gun at her.

It took Myka a second to realize that she had fallen to the ground, but she didn't know why. Then she noticed that her hands were covered in blood, her blood; from her thigh. Blood was pouring out from her leg quickly pooling around her. She tried to grab for her Tesla but then found that it was no longer in its holster. "Looking for this?" Jinks held up her weapon and waved it. He had slipped it away from her when she was assisting him.

"Look Agent Jinks, Steve," Myka spoke as the pain was starting to sink in, "This place is affecting your mind. I'm not the bad guy here. We can still get out of this, just pass me my goggles and I'll lead us out." She then winced in pain where she quickly applied more pressure to her wound, not looking forward to the soreness and difficulty she would have in doing what she had just proposed.

"You mean these?" Jinks held up the goggles and began to walk up to her, extending them out to her. Myka lifted on of her bloodied hands towards the artifact, but instead of him giving them to her, he dropped then into the poisoned well behind her. "Oops," he said sarcastically.

"No!" Myka hollered, "Those are our only way out of here!"

Another large hunk of rock fell where it hit Myka right on the shoulder, "Ah!" she cried out in pain. "What the hell is going on here?" She cried out.

"Erosion Beetles," Jinks said stoically while producing a small golden jewelry box looking object from his pocket. "Back up plan to protect the Fountain."

"Protect it?" Myka spat. "Protect it from whom? We are the only two people in here!"

Jinks stared at her helpless on the ground through red rimed crazed eyes, "Protect it from you of course. You and anyone else that tries to get to it."

 

The room crumbled away on top of Myka and Jinks. The brunette felt her shoulder dislocate as a large hunk of debris collapsed onto her. The injured woman lifted her head to see Jinks still standing, wobbly before her, still pointing his gun at her.

Myka huffed through the pain. She tried to speak, but was cut off as Jinks hollered to something, or rather, someone, behind her, "Hey! Get away from here! This is my fountain! My responsibility!" Myka turned her head to see John walking into the cavern towards the well. He stopped, however, when he noticed that Jinks's weapon was now pointing towards him.

"Steve don't!" Myka shouted, "He's just a kid!"

"He's trying to steal my fountain! No one can have it!" Jinks cocked the gun where Myka pounced up and tackled him right as he pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed past the brunettes head, hitting the already crumbling roof. The crazed man struggled beneath Myka as she grabbed his wrist that was holding the gun. Fortunately Jinks had little strength in his body due to the time he spent withering away in the Labyrinth, so Myka could manage to rip the weapon out of his hand before getting to her knees and flipping the young man on his stomach; pinning him to the ground. She screamed out in pain as her sore shoulder rolled in its socket while holding his wrists together, as she used her good arm to snag Jink's cuffs from his pocket. She growled out again through clenched teeth as her body spasm in pain as she clamped on the cuffs; the two metals from the shackles and the Imperceptorvest that Jinks still wore, clanged together noisily.

Once Jinks was cuffed he seemed to have given up. His eyes closed and exhaustion overtook him. Myka let out a huff as her head slunk down. She attempted to catch her breath as the cavern crumbled around them, tears streamed down her face and pain erupted throughout her body, making her lightheaded. After mere seconds had passed, Myka heard a strange shimmering sound which made her head snap up in response. There standing across the room to the other side of the pool, was John using some sort of key on the cave wall. It shone a bright yellow as a portal of some sort opened against the barrier, making a door way.

Before Myka had time to react, two men, that looked to be in their late fifties, passed through the threshold of the portal. "хорошая работа, мальчик," said one men as he patted the boy on the head after entering the cavern. He then caught sight of Myka and Jinks across the way before laughing out in a thick Russian accent, "So, zis is vat day send to stop us." He walked a little closer towards them, but was still metres away. "Girl, you don't look so vell," he shakes his head. Myka was quick to grab the gun that lay beside her, but the man only wagged his finger at her before pointing towards the second man who was heavily armed, two weapons drawn, one on her and the other on John.

Myka slowly lowered her weapon to the ground, really not having the strengths to hold it up for much long anyway. "The well is already poisoned," Myka said as best she could without slurring as her adrenaline was beginning to leave her body. "There is nothing you can do. This place is about to collapse. We should all just leave right now."

"You lie," The same man said all too calmly as he truly thought her tongue to be trickery.

She then shook her head, "No, It's true. If you drink from it, you will die."

"Boy!" the man called John over as he reached into his coat pocket, "take zis," he grabbed a puck looking object out before he snapped his wrist, as a collapsible cup popped up.

"No!" Myka shouted out, "Don't! You'll kill him!" She tried to get to her feet but the man with the firearms simply cocked both his guns to her actions, so she slunk back down to the ground, really having no other choice.

John took the cup as offered like there was no threat at all. "John! Don't do it!"

"Girl," The same man said, "If you don't shut up I'll make sure my friend puts a whole in both za Boy's head, and your comrade's zer," He gestured to Jinks unconscious on the ground. "Den, you can drink zee vater for me. Eh? How does zat sound?"

"Take a sip, boy," the Russian instructed as he looked back to John.

The boy then went to the water and filled up his cup. Myka's eyes leaked tears heavily down her face as she watched the boy bring the poisoned water to his lips before taking a sip of it. Within seconds John dropped the cup from his grasp where he fell to the ground, body convulsing while his mouth foamed.

The Russian man snapped his head towards Myka while he growled through clenched teeth, "You and you're friend are about to die." He then looked behind him to his partner and nodded, "Убейте их."

The second man took a step to get a clear shot at the two of them. Myka quickly raised her gun again, but it was too late, she heard a shot, then another before she had a chance to fire her weapon. But to her surprise the two Russians fell to their knees, revealing both Williams and HG holding smoking guns behind them. The two Brits had entered from the same passage as the Russians had.

"Myka!" HG called in concern from across the way, but it was hard for the two to see each other through the debris falling from the centre of the ceiling. It seemed that the structural integrity of the room was almost nonexistent, and the walls and ceiling were about to cave in on themselves.

Myka wasted no time before yelling back, as HG tried to make her way over to her, but failed due to the falling debris. "That kid needs the serum! He drank the poisoned water!"

Myka could see Williams nod his head as he grabbed out what looked to be a syringe case from his coat pocket. The brunette didn't know how they had gotten there, and why they had the cure on them, but she had never been so thankful. Williams quickly produced the serum before injecting the boy with it. Williams then scoped him up in his arms and caring him off, back through the threshold.

HG was still trying to get through to Myka but the American then yelled, "HG, don't! It's going to collapse on you!"

"Myka! I'm not leaving you!" The Victorian shouted across the way. But just as her words left her mouth the ceiling collapsed entirely between them; cutting Myka and Jinks off from HG and the exit.

"Shit!" Myka cursed as she looked to the quickly crumbling room. She could still get out the way she came in, it's just that her goggles were in the poisoned well and she knew that there was no way for her to navigate the Labyrinth without them. So she quickly removed her jacket, screaming out in pain as she slipped it over her bad shoulder, and speedily tied one of her sleeves securely to the cuffs that shackled Jink's hands together. She then slapped the unconscious man across the face; quickly waking him up.

"Okay Steve! Get up!" Myka instructed him. The man in a state of confusion allowed Myka to help him to his feet without causing a fuss. She then left his side as she scurried over to the edge of the well, which was luckily still on their side of the newly formed rock wall, and scanned it for the goggles. She soon caught sight of them where she was glad to see that they were in shallow waters. Hoping that she may be able to reach them from the edge. She hobbled down to her knees where she held in a swear word as well as a breath as she submerged her entire arm into the pool to quickly pull out the goggles. As she yanked them free of the water almost instantaneously here force field emitter in her pocket activated and created a small blue shield around her body, as she had now become radioactive.

Myka then ran back to Jinks where he didn't even seem to notice the blue glow now surrounding her body. She shook her goggles, drying them as best she could before whipping them on her face while she instructed Jinks, "Swing the jacket tied to your cuffs over to me."

The confused man complied rather well and did as told. He was totally bemused. Myka caught the other sleeve of her jacket as it fell through her personal force field. Once she had a tight grasp on the clothing she bolted for the exit without hesitation. Jinks jogged awkwardly sideways for he was tethered from behind. But Myka managed to hobble along with him dragging behind as she reentered the passageways.

She felt as if her pulse was everywhere on her body at once as it beat hard against her flesh. She prayed that she would not convulse like John had, though he consumed the poison, where she did not.

Myka pulled Jinks through the tunnels as her vision pulsed between seeing bright white to almost pitch black. Her feet stumbled as her blood poured out from her wounded leg. Her shoulder no longer hurt. She was numb. She couldn't feel, she couldn't even tell if her feet still touched the ground. Maybe she was floating, or maybe she was crawling? She didn't know if she was going the right way, her body was just leading, her mind was practically useless. It was like she could remember the turns she took, but didn't know if she actually took them or just dreamed that she did.

She then saw shimmers, sparkles, twinkling lights in front of her as she trudged along. Now it was bright, everything she saw and sensed was a blinding white nothingness. Then, somehow, she saw a face made up of white noise. It was familiar to her, but she didn't have the brain power to assign a name to it… them. All she could do was let go. She let go and then fell into darkness.

 

Artie heard footsteps and shallow breathing approaching from within the Labyrinth, he half un-holstered his Tesla in response to it. The man then squinted his eyes as he slowly approaching the entrance way that lead into the maze, silently cursing himself for being so stubborn and not going to the optometrist to get a new prescription for his glasses. The senior agent refused to admit to himself that he was getting old, despite the fact that both Claudia and Vanessa reminded him on a daily bases.

Then he saw them, his heart dropped in his chest at the sight of the blue shield glowing bright like a beacon in the distance. Myka dragged her feet; her head hardly high enough to see past the draping curls that fell over her goggles, as she dragged a stunned looking Jinks along behind her. Myka barely reached the threshold that exited the tunnel before she collapsed on the ground in front of Artie. The old man was forced to back step away from the plummeting woman, going against is natural urge to catch her, but knowing he couldn't fall into the shield's holding. Fortunately, the brunette lost her grip of the sleeve of her jacket before she hit the ground, giving Artie enough time to swoop behind her to grab Jinks before he stumbled onto Myka; possibly entering the slowly growing field that encompassed her.

He quickly sat Jinks down off to the side as he assessed his, previously lost, unconscious agent on the rock surface. Artie scratched his partially greying goatee while trying not to let his nerves get the best of him as his eyes fell back onto Myka and her gushing bullet wound on her thigh.

Without hesitation he called outside of the Labyrinth's camouflaged entrance, to two agents from The Mediterranean division; a sector that Mrs. Fredrick was all too cryptic to fully explain to him. "Hey!" Artie whistled like he was calling over Trailer, instead of two human beings, whose names he couldn't quiet remember. "In here!"

Two brawny tanned agents soon appeared through the threshold, guns in hand for that they were assigned for protection duty. "One of you grab him," Artie pointed to Jinks, "And get him back to the hotel," He shoot out, not looking at either of them as he was busy digging through his bag for something. One of the men did as ordered straightaway. He hoisted Jinks up while the American, in his arms, began to holler out incoherently towards the clear headed man.

Artie then yanked out a grey, slightly rusted, item from his bag that looked to be the size and shape of an old egg timer, with a centre dial. But the dial was not one for measuring time; it was a frequency dial, similar to one you'd find on an old radio. Artie put the device down on the ground right outside of Myka's force field, which now had about a one metre diameter, around her body. The artifact then began to rotate its dial back and forth on its own accord.

"Whoa, what is that? It's moving on its own?" The remaining agent asked in an Italian accent.

"Wha- what?" Artie jerked his head back, forgetting about the other man still in the room. "Oh, ah, it's Arthur Compton's EMF Canceller." He pointed to the artifact's turning dial, "See? It's looking for the same gamma ray frequency that Myka's body is emitting." Artie rambled out of nervous habit, "once the device calibrates with their frequency, it will send out cancelling waves; temporarily rendering the harmful rays inert; making it possible for me to get to her long enough to bring her back to be treated... due to the fields degeneration, in- in response to the device." Just as the man had gotten out his sentence the dial stopped seeking, where it then pressed in like a button; locking the channel while a small indicator light on top glowed red.

In a matter of seconds after the artifact was calibrated, a sort of dent formed in the field next to the EMF Canceller. The impression quickly grew larger where it exposed part of Myka's torso. Artie hastily tossed the artifact back into his satchel before throwing his bag over his shoulder. He then went to Myka, the field dissipating in his path, and scooped her up in his arms before whipping off her goggles and scurrying out of the Labyrinth to get her medical attention, and fast.

Artie burst through the door of the suite that had been sanctioned as the South Dakota agent's room. He knew that his wife would be there and he needed her to see to Myka straightaway.

"Vanessa!" Artie hollered. The sophisticated blonde looked to him from the I.V. bag that she had just hung up for Jinks, who was now unconscious on the couch in the main room.

"Oh dear," the doctor's mouth dropped open for only a second before her professional instincts kicked in. "get her to the bed," She instructed her husband where he was quick to comply; entering the en suite that Myka had slept in the night prior. Vanessa picked up her med bag and the defibrillator, just in case, before speedily following after them into the other room. Artie gently lay his agent down on the bed. The once white sheets stained crimson. Artie glanced down at himself, noticing his jacket was also coated in blood.

"She's affected," The woman stated uneasily.

"Yes," Artie grumbled, "But you have a cure for the radiation all ready to go."

Vanessa walked to the edge of the force field that had grown to just over two meters in diameter, where Artie was still standing next to Myka in his own little safe zone bubble which was only about a half metre in diameter. "Helena took the antidote with her," she informed him.

"What?" Artie's head snapped up.

His wife cleared her throat awkwardly before waving him over to meet her at the edge of the energy field in order for him to walk her into the shield to treat Myka. He moved to her speedily, before guiding the blonde in; keeping close to her side.

The Doctor put her stethoscope to Myka's chest straightaway. "Heart beat's very weak," She said after a moment. Vanessa then hastily ripped open her bag to get the supplies needed to suture Myka's leg. "Artie, she needs blood. She's lost too much." The blonde said while she promptly pulled her gloves on to start stitching.

"Is the Chibi Fang in here?" Artie reached for her med bag but before he could rummage through it to find the artifact, his eyes caught on their quickly shrinking safety bubble. "Out! Now!" Artie grabbed his wife along with the bag, pulling them both out of the force field right before their safety confinement dissipated.

A half startled Vanessa asked, "What? What just happened?"

"This lousy artifact is faulty! That's what happened!" Artie barked out in pure anger towards the failure of the EMF Canceller.

"How do you mean?"

"It unlocks from its frequency. Then has to recalibrate and find it again."

"Okay," Vanessa nodded her head slowly as she let the information sink in, "Well then just let it recalibrate."

Artie grabbed out that said artifact and put it on the nightstand that fell just outside of the force field. "I will, but it's finicky. Once it has been activated it takes awhile to start up again."

"Well how long is awhile?" Vanessa's eyes widened in alarm, "Artie she's bleeding out. She's dying!"

The old man swallowed hard. He had been in sticky situations before, but this was different. He looked to his former agent, the woman who pleaded for his approval more than anyone else ever had. Her breathing was faint; her skin had a sheen coating of sweat on it as her blood covered the majority of her lower body. Myka was dying slowly, right there in front of him, and he didn't know what to do. He always had his bag of tricks, his knowledge of artifact, but now, in this moment, he had nothing. He was truly powerless.

"Artie?" Vanessa snapped him out of it, "how long is awhile?" She repeated.

"I thought we would have enough time..." The man stared blankly at the woman fighting for her life. He didn't know entirely if he had meant more time with the artifact or more time with Myka.

"Artie?" She asked her husband again.

"At the least an hour but probably longer," he finally muttered out gravely.

"Can't I just go in there with my hazmat suit?" Vanessa suggested, but really; already knowing the answer.

"No, it's probably already about 80 to 90 reds in there; way too high for a suit to do any good against the radiation."

Just then they heard the suite's main door burst open. Artie and Vanessa soon saw Williams standing in the common room through the opened bedroom door. He was holding John in his arms, along with the boy's sword that was sheathed on the British man's back. "He could use a doctor," Williams simply said as he gestured to the boy in his grasp.

"Who is that? What happened to him?" Vanessa asked as she approached them a bit, but still remained in Myka's room.

"He's the Russian's weapon?" HG said from behind as she entered the main room as well. "They made him drink the contaminated water."

"Oh God, did you give him the antidote?" Artie gasped, barely being able to see her past Williams, John, and Vanessa in the doorway.

"Yes, of course we did," she looked to him curiously with a measure of concern to it as well. "Why?"

"Myka," is all the man could say, but that was all he needed to communicate for that HG was pushing her way through people making her way into the brunette's room, in a second flat. She gasped at the sight of the woman lying in bed, death lingering over her as it waited to snatch her up.

"Why is she not being treated?" HG barked out in a sharp tone, her eyes pointed and frighteningly black.

Artie was actually taken aback by her instant anger and intensity. He had grown rather fond of the Victorian over the years. Especially after she had risked her life two years back to save Claudia in Switzerland. But now he often forgot about the dark streak in her that, in the past, was the only thing he saw in her. "We can't physically get to her while she's in the field," Artie explained.

"So she is bleeding out with out the antidote?" HG stated more than asked.

"We have a cure sitting right now," Vanessa added, "It should be ready in about half an hour."

"Okay," HG nodded after a moment, like she had just come to a conclusion in her head. And then before anyone knew what was happening, HG made her way to Artie, snatched the med bag, and then walked into Myka's force field.

"HG!" Artie got out, but it was too late, she was already sitting on the edge of the bed picking through med supplies.

"Alright Vanessa, walk me through this," The Brit said, hands already grasping the stitching needle.

The Doctor spoke in shock, "Helena, there will only be enough antidote for one person."

"Yes, for Myka," HG said abruptly as she ripped the bullet hole in Myka's jeans open further, before she began to stitch the wound shut while attempting to wiping the red fluid away with a wad of gauze.

Both Artie and Vanessa shared a concerned glance before Williams approached beside them, John still in hand, as he looked at his captain sacrificing herself.

Without a word Vanessa turned to the boy and checked his vitals, after finding him stable she said to Williams compassionately, "You can take him to the other room and put him on the sofa across from Agent Jinks?" The large British man just nodded and slowly left to comply. He seemed to be good at taking orders silently.

Vanessa's attention then went back to HG with Myka. The airship captain was just tying off her stitches. "Okay, now go into my bag, there should be a fang, like a tooth, in a red velvet ring box." HG did as told and quickly found the item and opened it to take out the white pointed tooth. "Now stick that into her neck making sure to hit the jugular vain."

"What?" HG asked in confusion.

"It works like a catalyst for the body to rapidly produce more blood," Vanessa simply explained, not really feeling it prudent to get into any more detail at a time like that. HG merely nodded her head and did as told; pushing the fang into her dear friend's neck. It went in easily and didn't spill a drop of blood. The skin just closed up around the tooth, sealing it in place. "Good," Vanessa nodded, "and now for her shoulder, it looks dislocated. What you need to do is put your one hand on her..." But HG knew what she was doing and popped the woman's joint back in before the blonde could get out the entirety of her instructions. "Yeah, just like that," a smile flickered across the older woman's face but fell flat all too quickly.

"Now what?" The inventor looked to the doctor; asking for her next instruction.

"Now we wait," Vanessa sighed deeply where she absentmindedly reached for Artie's hand; grasping it in need of comfort.

Artie gave his wife's hand a squeeze as his mind raced. He now had three agents in jeopardy and one unconscious one in the next room. It was hard for him to take any victory in the fact that they had just hindered the Russian Mafia from obtaining any benefits from the Fountain of Life. His eyes locked on the scene in front of them. HG was sitting on the edge of Myka's bed, lovingly stroking her hair out of her face, quietly muttering to her fallen friend. Myka looked all too pale; she wasn't going to make it. He hated himself for thinking that, but he just knew it. There was no way she would last without the treatment, even if it were ready then, she'd be fighting an up hill battle.

Damn; Artie wasn't ready to loose another agent. He had to think of something. He closed his eyes and started to rack his brain for a solution. But then suddenly HG snapped him out of his mental whirlwind with the proverbial sound of a Farnsworth being flipped open.

He opened his eyes to see her gazing into her small empty screen. The woman's communication device rang three times before a familiar voice answered cheerily, "Heya HG, what's kick'n?"

"Claudia my Darling, I need your help. Myka's life depends on it!"

 

Claudia was in Artie's office at the Warehouse, smacking her head against the filing cabinet, as she tried desperately to do the assigned work that Artie had left for her. But the young tech couldn't concentrate. How could she? Her best friend, Jinks, and her big bro, Pete, were lost in The Labyrinth. Not exactly the best of places to lose your way in. And now Myka was back, after four years of no communication. She was finally back.

The redhead was actually grateful for the artifact disturbance that tried to rip her body apart molecule by molecule just a few hours back. Her life threatening encounter was the only thing that had managed to get her mind off of her friends and family in Greece. She detested her boss for making her stay behind, but at the least he was being pretty good at answering all her five hundred calls since he had left.

Suddenly the girl's head shot up in response to her Farnsworth going off. She shoved the remainder of index cards, which she had not yet filed, into a random drawer; half sticking out, before she bounced towards the desk to answer her communicator, praying that it was good news from Artie.

When she flipped open the devise she couldn't help but beam when seeing HG's unexpected face. "Heya HG, what's kick'n?"

But then she noticed the woman's pained eyes as she began in an almost desperate voice, "Claudia my Darling, I need your help. Myka's life depends on it!"

"Wha- What? Myka's in trouble? Yeah, anything you need," the girl shook her head, "What, is she like okay, or- ah- will she be okay?"

"Claudia," HG bore a sad but beautiful smile. "Darling, Myka will be just fine." The younger woman could see that she was not being entirely truthful but let it pass due to the more pressing matters at hand. "I just need to ask something of you, and I hate myself for requesting you do it because it's not the safest of things."

"No, no, HG. Whatever it is, I'll do it." Claudia insisted.

HG sighed gravely as she smiled again, "I know you will Love, but that doesn't mean that I want you to do it or that I have to like it."

"H, whatever it is, I'll be just fine." Claudia said in a reassuring voice.

The older woman nodded her head slowly before she began. "I need you to use my time machine."

"Really? Cool!" Claudia lit up for that in the past she had begged on numerous occasions to use it. The answer was always no.

"Wait, what?" The girl could hear Artie's muffled voice over the Farnsworth. HG pulled the communicator to her body, muffling her response to the old man there with her. Claudia pressed her ear to her device's speaker, trying to over hear them, but failing to.

After what felt like a life time to the girl, HG pulled the Farnsworth back while focusing the screen on her face once again. "Artie just told me that you blacked out last week."

"Yeah, I did." The girl's eyes then went wide, "Whoa! I was possessed by use of your time machine! Artie thought it was some other sort of artifact that affected me, but I told him that it was your time ma..."

"Claudia darling, focus," HG stopped her with a smirk. "This is good; it means that your travel was successful. Alright, what I need you to do is to go back to last week and get me Christ's Crucifixion Nail."

"Crucifixion Nail, got it," Claudia repeated and nodded.

"And put it in Vanessa's med bag for me. But make certain to keep it concealed somehow, so that she doesn't find it beforehand and remove it."

"I just went through my bag before this mission to restock it," Claudia could hear Vanessa's voice in the distance through the Farnsworth, "I didn't see any nail in it."

HG's face looked off to where, the redhead could only assume, the doctor was standing in the room, as the Victorian said, "Well, hopefully that's because Claudia hid it so well, and not because it's not there."

"I'll hide it in the bag's lining!" The girl interjected animatedly. "You should check now if it's there," she suggested.

Helena looked down to her side, longingly gazing upon that said item. Claudia could see intense fear in her eyes as they stared to well up. Before the woman reached out for the bag she looked back towards Claudia in her little screen. "Claudia, my Darling girl, you have to put it in here, no matter what you learn of its abilities."

"What? What are you talking about? What does it do?" Claudia's expression fell limp.

HG ignored her question as she continued on, "This is Myka's only hope; she needs this."

In almost panic, Claudia went to the computer and typed in the artifacts name into the data base. She found it within seconds before she started to read. "No," the redhead shook her head as she continued to read all the way through its description, "no," she looked up, back into her Farnsworth, "no, HG, you can't."

"I must Darling."

"But you might die!" She snapped as tears started to stream down her cheeks.

"Everything will be fine."

"No, don't you lie to me, HG! I'm not a child. I want you to tell me the truth." The tech eyed her as she asked, "Are you going to die if I do this?"

The woman looked to her as she gathered herself while taking a deep breath. "There is a good chance that I might, though, I also might not," She explained to her softly, "But one thing is for certain, if you don't do this, Myka will die. She doesn't have the chance that I do."

Claudia nodded as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve "I'm not ready to loose anyone," she sniffled.

"Hey," HG said in the most loving way possible, "don't give up on me here." She smiled warmly towards her, "I'm not dead yet," she laughed where she got a little chuckle from the girl as well. "I love you sweetheart." The woman smiled towards her dear girl, "and I am so deeply sorry for asking this of you. It's not fair for me to do so."

"Helena!" Vanessa called out to her in interruption, "I think Myka stopped breathing. I don't see her chest moving anymore."

HG looked to her side then to her other side then quickly back to Claudia before saying, "Do what you must, Darling," and with that the Brit snapped her Farnsworth shut making Claudia's screen go blank.

The girl sat in the empty room, blankly gazing at her disconnected communicator before she muttered, "And I love you too."

 

HG snapped her Farnsworth shut; quickly throwing it on the bed beside her as she reached over to check Myka's pulse. The Brit's breathe hitched in her throat while she squeezed her eyes shut, praying for a heart beat while she dipped her head to the woman's face; hopping to discover her still breathing.

After a heart retching moment of no response on either account, HG swore under her breath while she ripped open Myka's blouse before grabbing up the defibrillator that was still on the bed next to them. The woman quickly unpeeled the two adhesive protection tabs while sticking one pad to her chest and the other to her lower ribs. The devise was regurgitating out some idiot proof instructions to her in an automated voice, which made the Victorian want to scream out obscenities towards it. Finally it told HG to break contact with Myka before it administered its first shock to her; the brunette's body jumped up in response.

"Come on Myka, don't die on me here," HG muttered while waiting on the automatic defibrillator to find a pulse.

The device broke her heart as it stated, "Prepare shock, clear away from patient" once again. HG could no longer hold back her tears as it continued, "Administer shock," before Myka's chest jerked up again.

"Searching for pulse," the device carried on. Then it spout out again, "Prepare shock, clear away from patient."

"No!" HG hollered towards her beloved friend before going against the automated voce and grabbing Myka by the shoulders, "Myka, darling... baby, you have to come back to me," her tears ran heavy down her cheeks.

"Clear away from patient," the voice repeated, waiting on HG to separate; sensing her body contact to the patient's.

"Myka," the Victorian shook her shoulders in her grasp, "come back to me..." she let go of the woman, allowing the shock to be administered, "please," she muttered after the American's body fell back to the mattress.

HG's cheeks were wet as her gaze never faltering from the woman. "Pulse found," the automated voice stated which made the Victorian gasp so big that she felt as though she could have vomited right then and there, due to relief. HG dried her eyes with her sleeve before she placed her hand to Myka's cheek; rubbing her thumb back and forth over her ghostly white face and smiled. "I always knew, 'failure' wasn't in your vocabulary," she whispered.

Then, with a flash of the eye, HG had Vanessa's med bag in her hands before dumping it upside-down on the floor next to the bed. She then patted the leather bag down, feeling for the artifact. It didn't take her long to feel the object in the lining, for that it was quite a long nail. She saw a small slit in the fabric that Claudia had made to put the item in. The Brit then speedily grabbed the knife that was tucked inside her boot, and shoved it into the hole before sliding it forcefully along; ripping the fabric open to reveal the artifact. "That's my girl," the woman smiled at the young tech's job-well-done while she grabbed a hold of it.

HG then looked around for something to assist her; she caught sight of the nightstand next to them, now partially inside of their field where she went straight for it; opening the drawer. She had been in enough modern hotel rooms to know that there would be the religion of the country's text, inside of it. She yanked out a hard covered book that read 'Αγία Γραφή'. She then smirked at the irony that was about to occur with the bible in her hand. She dropped Vanessa's bag to the floor where she quickly threw the defibrillator in between the brunette's legs. Swiftly she climbed to the other side of the bed so that she was now cross legged next to Myka. The energy field expanded and followed the Brit as she moved. For that they were both now infected and unable to leave their confinement.

HG then took Myka's left hand and placed it on the Bible, palm down, that now sat on top of the Victorian's knee. She held it securely with her own left hand, also palm down as she got a better hold on the long, relatively thick, nail in her other hand. She grasped it at the top, still having a good five centimetre tip at the bottom that was not concealed by her hand. HG squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment as she raised the artifact up to her head level. Her eyes then flew open; letting out a thunderous growl as her hand brought down the sharp nail, driving it through both her and Myka's hands. The tip stopped halfway into the book beneath their palms.

HG bit her bottom lip and winced in pain as the nail produced a wind looking effect running along Myka's body moving towards her, now tacked, hand. It looked as if a sort of energy was flowing away from the American's body, into the Brit's.

HG's body became heavy as she slowly slunk down next to her friend. Moments after a small staining of red appeared on the Victorian's thigh, in the exact same spot as Myka's bullet wound was on her own body. The woman took a hold of some discarded gauze, which still remained on the bed from when she sutured up Myka's injury, and sloppily wrapped it around her leg, with her one hand, to slow down the bleeding.

Her eyelids now felt of rock, heavily drooping down, as her body was quickly overcome with pain and exhaustion. She had little energy left, but she saw that the EMF Canceller was inside of the field, so she rolled over to Myka, wrapped her right arm around the other woman's torso, and pulled her onto her side, and into her own chest. The movement was enough to shift the shield away from the artifact on the nightstand, now no longer holding it within its confinement.

With HG's last ounce of strength, she brought the hand that was around Myka's back, up to her head; pulling the brunette's forehead to her mouth, where she softly kissed it before muttering, "Don't worry Myka, I'll take all your pain away." Then she closed her eyes and too, fell into unconsciousness.

 

The room was in complete silence, it had been the entire time. Vanessa finally shook her head before she turned to her husband in asking, "Artie, what's going on here? What did Helena just do?"

The man stared off towards his two fallen agents. He had lost his voice when seeing Myka's heart stop. Losing an agent had always been his worst fear, not that he would ever admit it aloud.

"Artie," Vanessa came again, but spoke more delicately, "I don't know what just happened, but one thing is for certain, we haven't lost them yet."

With a small gulp that sufficed in bringing back his speech, Artie stated softly, "Christ's Crucifixion Nail," as if that had explained everything.

Vanessa stared at him blankly for a few seconds, waiting for him to elaborate, and then finally said, "You know Artie, I say this time and time again; I don't actually live in your head."

"Oh," He pealed his eyes off from the two young women to look to his wife, "ah, it's one of the nails that were used to secure Christ to the cross."

"What? Really?" She was legitimately surprised by the grotesque origins of the artefact, being a Catholic herself and knowing the crucifixion story all too well. "Well, what does it do then?"

"See after Jesus died it gained a power, we are assuming all three nails did, but we don't know where the other two are…. But, it's the whole deal like that verse says about Jesus dying for peoples sins, taking away suffering, clean slate in heaven…."

"He was delivered over to death for our sins and then was raised to life to put us right with God. By faith in this, then, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Romans 4:25 verse 5 through 2," Vanessa recited as if she had just gone through catechism yesterday.

"Heh, right," He smirked towards her. "So the nail now has the ability to take ones pain and transfer it to a sacrificing other."

"Just like Jesus did for his followers," She said in understanding.

"Right," the old man nodded.

Vanessa let it all sink in for a moment before she said, "So now, Helena is taking Myka's injuries as her own, including her radioactive qualities. But then Helena will just be sending out radiation to her anyway…."

"Right!" Artie shouted, all too excitedly as he thrust up his finger. "She's a genius."

"Who's a genius?"

"HG" he answered quickly while he rummaged through his bag. "All we have to do is give HG the cure, which will stop the radiation."

"But we can't even get it to her to administer it, never mind the fact that the antidote is still not set as of yet."

Artie pulled out a small stone sun dial, "Yes, not without the one and only true Chronometer."

"Ah, yes, your Cone of Silence," Vanessa smiled.

"My what?" Artie snapped his head to her.

"Cone of Silence," she repeated, "It makes that energy bubble that speeds up time inside of it, but if you're outside you can't really tell what's going on inside. So it's like the cone of silence but not in real time."

"what?" Artie asked again in complete confusion to the whole cone thing.

"Get Smart."

"Smart? You always tell me that I'm too smart for my own good."

Vanessa sighs, "Never mind. Okay, so with your Cone… Chronometer, you are going to…?" she then clued in, "Oh! You are going to put the cure and the EMF Canceller inside of it. They both need time, and…"

"...I'm going to give it to them," Artie said while spurting out the other room to fetch the cure in Caesar's Goblet. He hastened back in like a whirlwind to set the Goblet next to the EMF Canceller on the night stand. Artie gave the Canceller a tug back away from the energy field, for that it was dangerously close to falling back inside of its confinements.

The man then looked to the Chronometer in his hand that was white granite. He placed his finger on the XXII and slid it along the stone to the I; Giving himself an hour. An energy dome formed around him instantaneously. It was small, coming about a metre off from his body. He then stepped away from the bed, moving part of the time differential field that was encompassing part of Myka's head and shoulders, off from her. He also made certain that it still overlapped with the girls' radiation shield, so that the EMF Canceller could still search for the proper frequency, once again.

Artie sighed and glanced to the small watch on his wrist, not looking forward to the hour that he was about to spend waiting for the two objects to run their course, in the time differential field. He then glimpsed up to his wife who appeared to be frozen, motionless, outside of his capsule. He sighed at the still woman; she looked as if she were a beautiful photograph encompassing tranquility itself, which one may see hung up in a museum or a fancy art gallery. Even in the middle of chaos, the woman always seemed at peace, which could kick Artie's stubborn grumpiness at the door, leaving him without stammering words as he always found himself in awe of her.

The man then looked to the two agents that lay right next to him. The metallic smell of blood was strong as he let his eyes settle on Myka; wrapped in HG's arms as her injuries transferred to the Victorian. He sighed heavily before slinking to rest against the nightstand as he waited; hating every second of it. He could be patient, but it was hard when he didn't have something else to preoccupy his rapidly processing mind.

It was coming up on three minutes, according to Vanessa's watch, when Artie's shield went down. "okay, we can get to them now. The Canceler is calibrated," Artie waved the doctor over.

"Has it been an hour already?" she asked while she rushed over with a syringe in hand.

"No, fifty two minutes, I cut it short as soon as the radiation shield showed a hole." Vanessa grabbed up the goblet and filled the needle up with the antidote. "That should be ready right?" Artie gestured to the medication she had in hand.

"Yes, it should be good," she said with confidence whilst he led her in close to the bed where she was quick to administer HG with the cure. Vanessa was then fast to snatch up the stitching supplies that the Brit had half-hazardously discarded on the bed, to suture HG's now bloodied leg. "Artie!" She said while she stitched.

"Huh?" the man grunted.

"The fang," was all she said.

"Oh, right," The man reached over to Myka's neck and gave the tooth the slightest tug, where it slid free without so much as a fuss. Then with one swift motion he pushed it into HG's neck, where it again, slid in nicely, like it was begging to be put there in the first place.

When Artie looked up from the girls, he muttered after noticing the size of the radiation shield, "It's shrinking."

Vanessa looked up and smirked, "good. It's working faster than I had thought it would."

"Yeah, by this rate it will be gone in less than twenty minutes."

Just then a thunderous crash came which trembled the ground; knocking Vanessa into Artie. "What was that?" The startled woman gasped after her husband had stabilized her.

"Arial Bomb," Williams said stoically from the doorway, "Seems the Russians are good on their word."

"You knew they were going to attack?" Vanessa asked.

"We figured, yes Ma'am. Captain had us disobey orders to infiltrate their base in Turkey. The Regents said it would start a war if we did, but she, along with the rest of us, united in the decision to go ahead anyway."

"Turkey?" Artie asked in shock. "But how…."

"The Key of the Secret Garden," the brawny Brit answered Artie's unfinished question as to how he and HG had gotten back to Crete and inside The Labyrinth in the blink of an eye.

"The key of portals and passageways," Artie mumbled to himself.

HG's second in command nodded, "They had it within their possession."

"Wait!" Vanessa interjected, "You disobeyed orders and now we are going to get bombed to death?"

"No Ma'am; contingency plan in place."

"And that would be?" She asked with her hands to her hips.

The sound of a fighter jet then flew by, shaking the building. "A few JAS 29 Gripens," Williams smiled.

"Ah!" Artie pulled Vanessa out of the radiation field, as the EMF Canceler failed them once again. The Doctor sighed in annoyance towards the faulty artefact, but knew that she could do little more for the girls, medical wise, at that point. She also knew that she could get back to them when the field dissipated completely.

Artie's attention went back to Williams, "Gripen you say? So the Swedish are assisting us?"

"The Czechs actually."

Another bomb fell dangerously close to them as it shattered the glass of the room's window. Vanessa had to turn into Artie to hinder a few shards from impacting her face.

"Well that's my cue. I have an abled body crew that should be here soon," The acting-captain said, still in a calm tone, before making hast out the door.

"Artie," Vanessa looked to him with panic in her eyes, "What do we do? Do we evacuate?"

The man looked around almost franticly before an idea came to him. "No," he simply said before he ran out into the common room with both Jinks and John still lying unconsciously on the two sofas. "Follow my lead," He yelled over his shoulder to Vanessa as she rushed to him.

Outside, speedily approaching was an enemy Turkish F-16 Falcon. It aimed directly at the Warehouse's Greek Head Quarter building before taking a clear shot. A missile flew straight through the hotel, in a great explosion.

 

Myka felt her body was stretched out at an odd angle. She forced her heavy eyelids open in curiosity. As she opened her eyes she let out a cough, hindering her from adjusting to her surroundings straightaway. She gasped for breath before taking in her surprising surroundings. The floor of her room at the Head Quarter's hotel had collapsed. It was slanted from the story it was previously a part of, down to the floor beneath, not unlike a ramp. There the bed was at the bottom of the slope. There was so much rubble, along with part of the ceiling underneath the bed, making it at an awkward slant. Myka sat her, rather rejuvenated, body up to focus her sights on the bed, but was having some difficulties due to all the dust and ash in the air that was lit up in bright yellows and reds from the sunshine that seeped through the giant hole in the outer wall. The mattress had peculiar scorched markings around the corners, but there was a perfect circle that went around the bed, like the centre of it had been protected. The sheets in the middle were not burnt but were hardened and brown with a strong reek of blood to them. An I-beam was just over Myka's head which pierced through the wall and into the neighbouring room beside her.

The woman's eyes watered in reaction to all the particles and heat in the air, as she tried to fathom how she had found herself in the situation. After a brief moment she realized that she was not alone, a body was pressed into her lower side, and a head lay on top of her lap. Her hand had a sharp pain through it as well, which seemed to be in-between her and the other person. She abruptly took her free hand and whipped her eyes, clearing her vision up a bit, before looking to the mass laying on top of her.

"HG!" she gasped out, knowing those raven locks.

Myka took her one arm and turned the other woman over on her back, laying her right next to her. HG was still, too still. The brunette raised her hand to check her pulse, but then discovered that it was tacked together with HG's and, what looked like, a book. She winced in pain towards her hand while she had it extended. Her eye then caught on a light that emanated from the nail that held them together. It glistened for a brief moment when she moved, then went back to a rusted colour just as her pain had also dissipated.

Myka's eyes widened as she recognised the artefact from one of her inventory days at the Warehouse. "Shit, Crist's Crucifixion Nail," She burst out while taking her free hand, moving it as quick as lightning, to grab the end of the artefact, and with a thunderous grown, she pulled it free from both their hands.

Fresh blood came pouring out from both their palms. Myka smiled in relief at the sight of the blood from HG's hand. Her heart was still beating. The American grabbed part of the sheet and wrapped it around the other woman's hand. She then did the same to her own, but as she was horribly binding it, she noticed med supplies tossed at their feet. She shot for a roll of gauze, like it was a hundred dollar bill about to fly away in the wind. She wrapped it around her own hand first, and then moved to HG's.

Once both of them were bound to the best of her abilities, she leaned over to HG and checked her pulse. It was weak but consistent. With a sigh of relief she took a moment to just calm down. She really should have been trying to figure out how they were going to get out of their pocket of space, with only a small hole in the wall as the only exit. But instead she slunk her body down next to HG's and wrapped her arms around the woman, pulling her close. She just needed a moment to process. She just held the unconscious woman, that she knew had nearly sacrificed her life for her own. She gently took HG's head in her bloodied hand, and brought it to her chest, resting her chin on her cobalt head. She closed her eyes while inhaling the woman's Lavender scent mixed with the metallic smell of the blood that surrounded them. She had missed her dear friend over the years. She hadn't realized this until now. Her anger had masked all other emotions that she had for her. She had forgotten why her betrayal those four years ago, was so hurtful. She had cared so much for her that she couldn't take the thought of HG ever wishing to harm her. The fact that she tried to destroy the entire world didn't faze the American, it was the personal pain that the Victorian had caused her. But for the first time Myka acknowledged the reality that HG didn't destroy the world because she couldn't bring herself to destroy her, Myka Bering.

The Brunette's eyes started to tear as she kissed her beloved friend on the top of her head and whispered, "I'm so sorry Helena. I believed in you then hated myself for doing so. I made you do this. I made you prove yourself to me." She stroked her raven hair and sniffled with tears streaming down her face, "But the reality is. I never stopped believing in you." Myka stopped caressing the woman's hair as she finally realized where the source of all her hurt and anger were coming from. She muttered so quietly that she could barely hear it herself, "I never stopped loving you."

Just then Myka's ears tweaked to a familiar sound, she let go of HG; gently resting her back on the mattress as she, once again, sat up on her one elbow. She could see the outdoors through the large hole in the wall mere metres away. The building was smoking making the scenery out there look like a smoggy haze. But after a short moment she made out an image that brought on a laugh of pure relief. There was Williams hanging from the familiar rope ladder of HG's airship, about eighty metres away. He was slowly being guided down and towards the gaping hole in the wall. Myka had to really give props to the pilot, he was quite amazing. She assumed he must have had a military career as a helicopter pilot or something of that manner.

Myka climbed over top of HG and off the bed. She had to be careful of all the debris on the ground and the rebar protruding out at her from every which direction. She carefully climbed over objects making the short distance to the hole. Looking down she could see that half of the building was no longer standing, and then the worry of structural integrity entered her mind. Gazing back up, she saw Williams, still slowly, being guided right to her. When he made it to about three metres away, Myka smiled, "You know, we really must stop meeting like this."

The man grunted a smirked for a brief second as he grabbed a hold of some rebar that protruded from the wall, and pulled himself into the opening, with great strength, positioning himself right next to Myka. "We don't have much time," He shoved the ladder into Myka's hand, where she had to abruptly reach for the wall to anchor herself down, as the rope tried to hank itself free from her. "Whatever you do, don't let go of that," he said while quickly making his way over to his captain on the bed. He grabbed her up with one quick motion while Myka strained to not let go of their exit strategy, as the rope almost made her cry out in pain as it pulled at her bandaged hand. Williams, awkwardly steeping over debris, with HG in his arms making his was back to Myka.

The airship was drifting ever so slowly over top of the building, where Myka was using all her strength to not let go of the tension building ladder. Williams repositioned HG to lie over his big broad shoulder as he grabbed the rope back from Myka. "Get up there quick," he ordered her where she was fast to get on it and climb up a few rungs with him holding the bottom. Before she knew what was happening, she found her grasp quickly tighten as she hugged the ladder close while her body swung out. She felt like she was back at the Warehouse on the zip-line. After prying her eyes open, which she had not realized were squeezed shut, she looked down to see Williams holding HG, still over his shoulder, at the bottom of the ladder. All three of them were suspended in midair, being flown over their smoking, destroyed headquarters to land back in the initial clearing where they had an emergency landing the day before.

Just as Williams's feet touched the ground, they saw a Turkish fighter jet coming up from the horizon taking fire at the zeppelin. Bullets came hurtling towards the goldbeater's skin balloon. The envelope punctured several times at the starboard side and exited straight through and out. Myka then touched ground as they watched part of the envelope loose its shape as the fighter plane flew over to loop back around. It looked like the zeppelin had at least two gas compartments breached. It continued to drift to the ground.

"Come on," Williams grabbed Myka's forearm and pulled her away from the landing area.

"But they can't land here! They'll be sitting ducks!" Myka spat.

"Not really a choice now," he grunted.

Then a Czech plane flew towards the Turkish one, as it was looping back over the ocean to make another pass at the zeppelin, and before Myka had time to process the second aircraft's appearance, the ally plane fired a missile at it, which hit directly, blowing up the enemy hostile.

"Sir, you there?" Came a man's voice in another British accent, through the radio on Williams's belt.

Williams tugged Myka to the tree line and then gently placed HG against a large trunk, before taking a hold of his communicator. "Yes, I read you."

"All enemy hostiles have been eliminated for the time being. We're not picking up anything more on radar."

"But we are going down," shouted another man from the radio sounding as if he were further away. He had a North American accent unlike all the rest of the British crew members.

"Roger," Williams simply said into his radio before dropping his arm to his side.

Myka knelt next to HG as she checked her pulse again. It hadn't changed from the last time which made her sigh in relief. Still remaining next to her dear friend, Myka looked up to the man and asked in almost exasperation, "Wha— what about the building? It's gone! Did everyone make it out alive?"

"No," Mrs. Fredric stated, where the two agents whipped their heads behind them, to see the mysterious woman in her same crisp pink tweed outfit. "We lost six agents in the explosion and one allied plane. You and Agent Wells were fortunate enough to be protected by your Atlantean Shield, but others weren't so lucky."

"….Artie?" the woman muttered out.

Jinks jogged up to them from the bush, "Nah," he smiled at her, "Artie's coming along behind me. But in Claudia's words, 'he was faster riding his pet dinosaurs back in the day.'."

"Hey, I heard that!" Artie grumbled as he fell alongside Steve with both Vanessa and John on his heels.

"Artie!" Myka beamed at the sight of him along with the others, where he grunted a legitimate smile in return in seeing his agents out of the building and alright. Vanessa was quick to go to HG and check her over. Where Myka pushed for more answers, "But, how….?"

"The personal shield generators, that's how. We got out just before you two did," Jinks smiled, "Oh, and by the way, I am really, really sorry about shooting you in the leg." He said with meaning in his shinning blue eyes.

She smirked, "It's okay, really. I know you weren't yourself. Wait!" Myka snapped her head towards Artie, "But how did you get the shield generators to work? You weren't radioactive."

"Radio –wha— Does nobody listen to me around here?" The old man snapped, "We altered them to go off in case of radiation. But they activate and deactivate whenever you want normally."

"Oh," Myka bore wide eyes and strained her neck in embarrassment for forgetting what he had said earlier. She then caught a hold of Jink's warm eyes, where she took the opportunity to quickly change the subject "So, Agent Jinks, since we didn't really do proper introductions last time; Hi, I'm Myka, nice to meet you."

Just as Jinks was about to do the same and introduce himself, Artie cut in, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, and he's Jinks and he's glad to meet you too, enough with the pleasantries." He pointed to Myka's hand, "You! You need to get stitched before you pass out on me… I mean us, again."

"We have med supplies on the ship," Williams grunted, "You can use it as a temporary HQ, since, you know." He shrugged his shoulders and gestured at the smoking hotel and then the fallen airship.

"Thank you," Mrs. Fredric bowed her head to him.

Myka stood up from where both HG and Vanessa were on the ground. "Artie, as soon as this," she put up her injured hand, "is dealt with, I'm going back in to find Pete."

"Me too," added Jinks.

"Wha- what?" Artie snapped his head towards him. "But we only have one pair of goggles."

"Yeah, but I'm not leaving Pete in there. And besides, Myka is going to have difficulties bringing him back when she finds him. She'll need help."

Myka threw her good hand on her hip, "You know Artie; he has a point. The amount of cookies Pete eats…"

"It'd practically take a truck to move him. Fingers crossed we can manage together," Jinks finished where they both flashed a smile at one another.

"But what about the effects of the Labyrinth?" Vanessa asked, looking up from HG.

"Wait, wait, wait," Artie scratched his goatee as he paced a bit while he started to mumble to himself, "The maze effect sensory input, like hearing and vision mostly, so if we…." He then turned to Jinks, "Blind you and deafen you!"

"Yeah," Myka said enthusiastically, "I can guide you along. We can deafen you with those noise canceller headsets that you guys have," she pointed to Williams where he nodded, "and…. What?" she looked to Artie, "just a simple blindfold?"

"Yeah, that should work," he nodded.

"I can assist you in locating your companion," John spoke up.

"No, no, John, thank you, but no thank you," Myka said warmly to him as she approached, "You have done more than enough when you saved me from that shadow creature in there. You should stay here where it's safer." Then she got a mischievous look in her eyes where she continued, "Besides, you have to tell Artie all about the University that he's going to send you to."

"What? What University?" Artie barked.

"Yeah, the Russians promised him a full scholarship to a university in Zürich."

"Eldgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich," The boy clarified.

"Yeah," Myka smiled, "So I was hoping that, well, you know, that we could send him instead," she shrugged while giving her boss one of her adorable smirks.

"Well a…" Artie began, "Can we?" He looked to Mrs. Fredrick.

She gave another slight head bow before saying, "I'll make sure that it happens."

Myka beamed where she gave the boy a thumbs up, but he didn't seem to understand her signal. "You are paying for my finances then?" John asked for clarification.

Myka burst out in a giggle and a nod, "Yeah."

The boy then smiled at Myka, "thank you." He then slid his large sword off his back and walked it over to her, "You may require this when you re-enter the Labyrinth."

Myka took it and said gently, "Thank you."

Just then the zeppelin landed where they could see some of the crew members already opening the hull for the gangway to be placed down.

Without a word, Williams walked over to his fallen captain and picked her up in his arms, forcing Vanessa to move out of the way. He then started making his way over to their ship, like he had a great need to bring their captain home. Everyone simply fell in line behind him, and silently went aboard.

 

Artie, Jinks, and Myka, walked through the threshold of the Labyrinth. Without a word, Jinks went to stand at the entrance that led into the maze, while Artie tied a cloth around his eyes, blinding him. He then passed him a pair of sound cancelers. The young agent put them over his head, covering his ears.

"Myka, are you sure that you'll be okay with leading Steve like this?" Artie grunted and pointed to the now handicapped man. "You've got a lot of ground to cover in there."

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Lao Tzu," Jinks quoted.

The brunette smiled towards the young man. There was something about him that she really liked; probably his centred and calming demeanour. He and Pete were most likely great partners. "Yeah, I think we'll be fine," She looked back to Artie.

"Okay," He nodded. "Goggles on," Artie said almost annoyed that she wasn't wearing them already. The brunette slid them on and then took Jinks by the arm so that there were, elbow and elbow. Artie then flicked the white noise switch, which was located on the agent's earphones, to the on position.

"Steve can you hear me?" Artie waved his arms in front of him where the man didn't react. "Good," he muttered, "go!"

So Myka left for the maze, Jinks in arm and sword holstered on her hip. The motion of pushing jinks hurt her injured hand. Vanessa had managed to slip in a liquid titanium artifact that coated her broken centre metacarpal, allowing her use of her hand. But it did nothing for her tenants and epidermis. So the innards of her hand were still ripped up and she had stitches on both her palm and backhand.

The brunette guided Jinks along the strange tunnels of the maze. She actually felt like she was getting used to the effects, not becoming immune to them, but finding a sort of rhythm to the place. Directions still made little to no sense, but her coarse changes felt, somehow, a little more static in her mind then the first time she had entered the place.

She knew she could remember the directions to where she found Pete's canteen the day before, so she headed for that spot. Left, Left, straight, she thought in her head, then a right somewhere soon, Shit! The brunette's eyes grew under her goggles when seeing the collapsed tunnel in front of them.

"What the…?" Myka muttered, well, maybe she thought it, or screamed it out in frustration. She couldn't tell. The woman stopped the two of them and squinted her eyes and stared at the scene in front of them. She saw nothing, then after another moment she saw something move, no, scurry.

"Erosion beetles," this time she knew she said it aloud. She then slowly moved her head to see them beside them and behind them. They were everywhere. She was taking them right through them and didn't even know it.

She then felt something hit the top of her shoe which made her look down to see debris on it. Her head jerked up to finally notice the huge crack at the top of the tunnel that they were currently standing in.

"Shit!" Myka spun jinks around and jogged with him to where they had just come from. She had to pick another direction and still somehow remember her path and keep an eye out for weak structural passageways; if that were even possible. Now she didn't have a reference point.

The woman took them back to their first initial turn at the beginning of the maze then went up the opposite fork in the passageway. She didn't know what else to do; she had to keep them moving;

So she just prayed that the way that they were heading would bring them around to where she needed them to be, not that she could distinguish between any sort of directional search pattern. The only thing the woman was truly capable of doing was remembering the ground that she had already tread along.

As the brunette trailed along with Jinks, who was rather compliant and easy to maneuver, she saw a sharp colour, like red maybe, in her mind. It didn't quit register in her brain until the second time around. It was a screech, a high pitched screech. Like from a raven or a –a, what was it now? Myka recognized it, like it was at the tip of her numb brain. The Minotaur! She pinned it.

She realized that she was still moving them at a fast pace, but instead of trying to figure out how to change that, she simply ignored her steps and concentrated on the sharp screeching could see it hovering in front of her now, like a beacon guiding her. She didn't know why she was allowing it to entrance her, but she couldn't help but follow it. Somehow the image of her sword appeared in her mind which made her pull it out in front of the two of them. Like the sword was actually the thing pulling her to the screeches, not her own mind and body.

Her mind was growing tired as she grasped to remember their turns down the corridors. It felt as if the walls were moving past them, instead of them passing the walls. Before she could tell where she was, her hands raised with the sword in them. The colour shone bright as Myka and Jinks rounded a corner to see the dark shadow monster. But he was no longer a shadow; he was a stationary beast with a dark hairy man's body and a huge horned bull's head. His eyes were beaded red and glowing. The beast was clawing at a shiny dome of some sort… no, it was a force field. The large creature then turned and snarled towards Myka and Jinks… or maybe it was towards the, now suddenly glowing yellow, sword.

The sharp red colour almost filled Myka's vision, but through it she just made out the dark body of the Minotaur stomp towards her. The yellow sword shone brighter than ever in front of her. Her tired brain could barely see the horns of the Minotaur coming towards her with great speed. Her legs barely responded to her anymore. The woman saw the monster's head lower as is was now merely horns and beady eyes piercing into her. The ground vibrated as it charged her. Myka unhooked her arm from the blinded agent. She shoved the helpless man as hard as she could out of the way of the charging beast. Before she knew it, both of her hands were back on the sword. She squinted against the bright light of the sword. Just beyond it she saw a glimpse of the monster and huge head lowered to aim his sharp horns at her.

Myka's brain was mush, gone from rational thought, so she wasn't that surprised when the monster rammed into her. Her arms moved as best as she could swing them, almost as if they were pulled by the shinning yellow sword. It seemed like slow motion as the monster and agent crashed to the ground. The wind was driven out of her, but Myka dimly thought that it would have been worse.

Then, nothing moved. She gave herself a moment to just lie there and see she was broken. A breath told her that her lungs still worked, so Myka tried to move but found herself stuck. The brunette looked down at herself. The sharp colour was gone from her vision and the shinning sword was fading from its former glory. Myka cringed when she saw that the beast's arm was over her centre and the sword was buried in its side. The beast's head was close to her; the horn cleaved off at the base. The thick arm was heavy when she threw it off of her. She pulled the sword but it was stuck fast in the beast so she left it and swayed to her feet.

She stumbled away from the slain Minotaur, over to Jinks, who now sat upright against the wall. Almost falling over as she reached for him, she grabbed his arm and yanked him up. But it was Jinks who steadied her when she noticed that she was beginning to feel a bit horizontal like. After a moment, Myka realized that she was completely in Steve's grasp as he held her tight while her world slowed down to a slower spin. Once she could see straight enough, she backed away from his body, still keeping their arms linked, and looked down the passage way, about six metres up from them. There she saw again, a blue energy dome, like the one she was in earlier with HG. She quickly dragged Jinks along as she made hast towards it. She could see something inside of it… no, it was a person inside of it.

"Peete!" Myka hollered as she saw a man's body lying inside of it, her fast pace quicken until she dug her heels into the ground, screeching them both to a halt. It was Pete; she saw his face right in front of her, inside of the Atlantean Personal Shield that was about three meters in diameter. The man was lying on the ground using his backpack as a pillow. There were granola bar wrappers and juice box containers all around him. He was also wearing sunglasses and had ear buds in.

"Pete!" Myka yelled again as she and Jinks walled through the force field.

"Wha-?" Pete yawned and stretched before raising his head to notice the other two. He quickly ripped out his headphones before blurting out, "Myka?" He then jumped to his feet with much more energy than the brunette could ever think possible from a man that was stuck in The Labyrinth for multiple days. "Myka!" He shouted again with a huge grin before going up to her and wrapping her into a giant bear hug, forcing her to let go of Jinks.

"Pete!" She giggled and squeezed him back. She smiled as she held her old partner in her arms until her face scrunched. "ew Pete, you stink." The woman then shoved him off in a joking but still disgusted manner.

"Well what do you expect? Jinks here," He patted his partner on the back, "got himself lost and I had to rescue him."

"Pete?" Jinks yelled unnecessarily laud, when feeling his partner's hand on him.

"Dud," Pete removed Jinks's ear protection, "what's with you all Helen Keller like?"

"No Pete, Don't!" Myka yelled, but then shut her mouth instantaneously when she realized that Pete seemed rather fine, and he was only wearing sun glasses at the moment.

"Relax Mykes," Pete said while taking off Steve's blindfold too, "The bubble thingy makes it not so screwy."

"Hey," Jinks smiled at Pete, "You're not dead." They gave each other a quick manly shoulder squeeze.

"Stev-o I've told you this before. I can't die as long as I'm not wearing a what?"

"Hu?" Steve looked at him in confusion, "You're not wearing a… bomb?"

"A bomb?" Pete repeated in disgust.

"Mykes!"

Myka huffed with a smile, "a red shirt."

"Bingo!" Pete clapped, "Oh man, this is so great!" He scrunched his face and fists with excitement, "The band, back together again."

"Pete!" Myka snapped at him.

"Yeah?"

"What's going on? Why is the maze not affecting us in here? And, and," she scrunched her face, "we were never a band because I left then Steve came later on, so, yeah… not a band coming back together."

"Yeah, yeah," Pete waved her off then explained, "Well the maze does still do its voodoo-who-wah on us in here, it's just kinda watered down. See, that's why I have my cool Maverick sunglasses on and my music blaring. Thanks to Claudia's little invention, I can recharge my iPod with the Tesla."

"Okay," Myka nodded whilst processing, "but why couldn't the Miniature get you in here? People can just walk through these shields."

"But it's not human," Jinks offered his logic, "It's half man half beast."

"Yeah, freeky-deeky shadow monster beast." Pete added, "I'm gonna sleep with the light on until I'm dead."

Myka couldn't help but smile towards her old partner, God she missed his stupid immaturity that always made her both laugh and roll her eyes. "So wait," Myka thought on it a bit more, "This whole time we could have simply navigated the maze with our shields activated?"

"No, I don't think so," Jinks said as he slunk to lean his hands and upper body on his knees.

"Why do you say that?" Myka asked.

"Because I feel like I'm going to hurl right now."

Pete laughed, "Yeah, I did that a few times already. I wandered around for a bit before kinda falling to the ground."

"'Cause the place was spinning?" Jinks closed his eyes.

"Yup, pretty much."

Myka finally took note of all the wrappers around their feet, "You had food this whole time?"

"I never go anywhere without munchies. Good thing you found me too 'cause I just ran out of Glossettes, That's what I call an emergency."

"Okay," Myka shook her head, "you" she pointed to Pete, "put your headphones back on," she then looked to Jinks, "Steve, Blindfold and headset, you may not need the white noise on though." The young agent nodded. "I'm going to lead us out of here before the place collapses in on us."

"Man with a plan!" Pete said, "I mean… Myka with a plan, per usual," He smiled at her before putting his ear buds back in. "Let's do this," He gave them a double thumbs up. Jinks put his ear protection and blindfold back on before Myka linked arms with him.

She then led the two of them, still in the shield, past the fallen beast, neglecting the sword in its body, and down the path that the woman had no trouble remembering. Having both the goggles and the shield around her, was allowing her brain to function again, though her body was still exhausted from the use of her eyewear. In no time, she found the exit and there standing in its threshold was Artie awaiting them.

"Artie!" Pete yelled unnecessarily loud, making Myka flinch in front of him inside the containment bubble. Pete hit the switch on the personal shield emitter, which was attached to his belt, making the field disappear from around them.

Myka took off her goggles and helped jinks with his things too. "Pete," Artie smiled in almost confusion. "But, ho- how did you? You used the Shield… did that work? Well I suppose that it did…" The man trailed off.

"Yeah, great to see you too there Artie," Pete shoulder punched him where Artie shot him a glare in return. But it was easy to see the sparkle of relief and joy in his old stubborn eyes. Pete, now with his sunglasses and headphones off, sprang back to Myka and gave her another bear hug, lifting her feet off the ground.

"Peeeeete!" Myka screeched with a giggle. The man shook her back and forth with a playful grown.

"So I take it that you're feeling alright, Agent Lattimer?" Mrs. Fredrick said, where everyone turned to the, now, present woman.

"Oh, ah," Pete gently put Myka back on the ground and let go of her, "Yeah, I'm pretty alright." He then turned to Myka and sang, "Pete conquered The Labyrinth."

"Ah, it's more like, Myka conquered The Labyrinth and Pete slept inside of it," Jinks interjected with a smile where Pete made a face towards his young partner.

"Agent Bering," Mrs. Fredric said where Myka looked to her, and for the first time, the brunette didn't think twice on the title 'agent'. "You have completed your assignment, which was a good job well done." The caretaker bowed her head, "But now it's time for me to uphold my end and get you home in time for your previous engagement."

"My previous- what?" Myka cocked her head to the side in confusion, "Oh!" She completely forgot about her nuptials, "right, that," she nodded awkwardly.

"What? Where are you going?" Pete asked.

"Ahhhh," Myka looked down to her shoes, eyes wide whilst biting her bottom lip, before she looked up to Pete, "my wedding."

"You're getting married?" both Pete and Jinks burst out unanimously.

Myka put her hands on her hips and nodded, feeling rather uncomfortable for some reason. She was ecstatic about it before, but since her whole European adventure, her mind had altered somehow. Maybe she was just exhausted and needed some sleep.

The caretaker continued, "There's a helicopter whose ETA is five minutes. It will bring you to your connecting flight in Rome which will take you straight to Montreal."

Myka nodded then looked to Pete again, "You're going to be there, right?" She shook he head once when realizing that what she had just said didn't really make sense. "I mean, can you –will you come to my wedding?"

"Yeah, of course Mykes," he smiled, "I'd never miss my partner getting hitched… to some guy that I have not yet met nor approved of" his demeanour changed into a protective older brother's.

Myka giggled, "It's alright Pete, you can background check him AND cross-examine him before our vows, if you want."

"Really?" He sounded all too excited.

"Sure," she smiled before turning to the other two men, "I want you all to come. Jinks, you too," she looked to the man who seemed to be still concentrating on keeping his stomach contents down, due to the effect of the maze.

The young agent gave her a nod and smile where she looked back to Artie. "Yeah, ah, I'm sure we can clear off next Friday and Saturday there," He muttered awkwardly.

Myka's face broke into a beautiful smile, "I never told you that it was next weekend."

"Oh!" their boss looked sheepish, "well I ah- was, I remember seeing- hearing something about it."

Myka bit her lip before turning back to Mrs. Fredric, "ready?" the caretaker, asked her.

The brunette silently went to Pete and gave him another hug, where he gently returned it. "See you in a few days," he smirked at her.

Myka nodded with a tired smile at her old partner before turning to the woman in pink, "Yes." She then followed the woman in pink out of the cave to be taken back home to her fiancé. But for the first time when thinking on her home in Montreal with Matt, she felt like she didn't quite fit anymore. Like she had changed, or maybe, she had reverted back to who she was before; when she was at the Warehouse.

And then it happened, as Myka walked down the short path that was lined with trees, towards the smoking hotel and the open field that the airship had crash-landed in; Myka closed her heavy eyelids; the instant that she did, the image of Helena's face popped into her mind. After a moment the brunette opened them again, where tears were welled up in her sleepy bloodshot eyes. She didn't want to get into the helicopter that she saw circling above them about to land in the field. She wanted to board the zeppelin and scoop HG into her arms once again. In strictly thankfulness towards her friend, she told herself.

Myka halted herself behind Mrs. Fredrick as they watched the chopper land in front of them. The door was opened when it touched ground. Myka then looked over the grounded airship once again. She stared at it, trying to look through its bulkheads as if she had the superpower of seeing through walls.

"Agent Bering," The caretaker said, "She's stable and will pull through." Myka turned to her. "Are you ready?"

"I feel like I don't know the answer to that one anymore," the brunette muttered under her breath before walking over to the helicopter and jumping in. Mrs. Fredrick closed the door from the outside before she walked away from the craft.

Myka sat back in her seat as her tired mind raced; she loved Matt and she had done her job successfully here, so why did she feel just as badly as she did when she had left the Warehouse those four years ago? The aircraft ascended up, overtop of HG's ship, taking Myka away from her past life, the one that she had abandoned before and the one that she had missed now. She then took a hold of her injured hand, feeling her stitches on either side of it, as she closed her heavy eyelids once again. She then soon fell fast asleep with the lavender scent of HG whisking up in her dreams and the remembrance of her soft lips on her own.

 

"Okay," Pete narrowed his eyes at Matt during the rehearsal dinner, "So you work at Inspec-Sol Incorporated."

"I do," Matt nodded.

"It's an engineering company."

"It is."

"That wasn't a question, Canada, it was a statement."

"Sorry."

"So you went to college at the University of Manitoba," Pete continued.

"That statement is a bit of an oxymoron, don't you think?" Matt asked nicely.

"Nothing I say is moronic."

"No, I…" Matt sighed in surrender to the very American man, "Never mind."

Pete puffed out his chest, "That's what I thought." He then looked down to his clip board with Matt's information written down on it. "So you grew up in Winnipeg."

"Go Jets!" Matt pumped his fist supporting his NHL team.

"Hockey, eh," Pete scratched his chin with intrigue. "So what's your football team then?"

"NFL or CFL?" the Canadian asked.

"What?" Pete scrunched his face, "No, like, real football team."

"Oh, real football," Matt nodded, "I usually cheer for Brazil, but lately New Zealand has really gotten my attention. I think 'cause they are sort of the underdogs. Little county that's constantly overshadowed by Australia."

"Hu?" Pete shook his head in confusion.

"Dude," Claudia popped up from behind Pete, throwing her arm around his shoulder, "You did say 'real football'." She patted him before removing her arm.

Claudia and Matt shared a look followed by a smile before the tech went over to the buffet table for seconds. The engineer then looked to Pete, "Colts. They're my NFL team. You?"

"Browns, but I will allow you to like the Colts."

"Jee, thanks for allowing me my NFL team," Matt said sarcastically.

"So, Canada," Pete eyed him again, "What are your intentions towards Myka?"

"Ummm," The engineer looked around the room filled with the wedding party along with Artie, Vanessa, Claudia (who was made a brides maid), Jinks, Leena, and both Matt's and Myka's parents. "To marry her."

"Touché, Canada. Touché."

"Pete?" Matt asked in an almost hesitant tone.

"Yeah?"

"You don't seem like you work for the IRS." He then blurted out, "Myka too! I mean you and Myka were partners, but it all seems… I don't know. But it's not that I don't trust Myka, 'cause I do! It's just, sometimes I feel like there is something more, much more, about her that she isn't tell me." Pete then shifted awkwardly. "Wow, sorry there. That came out rather French like, I've been in this province too long."

"Nah it's cool man," Pete pat him on his shoulder. "Chicks make us guys go crazy sometimes."

Matt let out a chuckle in relief, "yeah, you can say that again."

"Myka," the curly haired brunette, who was hiding around the corner, eavesdropping on Matt and Pete, jumped in response to the voice behind her.

"Mrs. Fredrick?" Myka said in confusion after turning around, "Wh- what are you doing here? Not that, I mean, I'm flattered that you are here. You are welcome to stay for the…"

The woman in tweed waved her off, "I'll be at the ceremony, but that's not why I'm here now." She then folded her hands in front of her body, "Myka, you are an exceptional agent, one of the best I have ever seen. And I've seen a lot of agents. I want you to know that your job at the Warehouse is always open for you to come back."

Myka responded before she let it all sink in, "Yes, but Mrs. Fredrick, I'm getting married and…"

"You still have your one." The mysterious woman interrupted her.

"What?"

"Take your job back, move to South Dakota with Mathew. We will make sure that he finds employment in his field. Then tell him about the Warehouse. You still have not chosen your one. Simply, make your husband it. Make him your one."

Myka's head raced, what Mrs. Fredrick had said was so logical but her chest felt tight, tighter than it had felt since she had gotten back to Canada, from Europe. The brunette turned to peek past the wall at Matt. He was laughing with both Pete and Claudia. It was a beautiful sight in front of her but for some reason she was failing to breath. Like she was drowning and didn't know which direction the surface was. Myka spun to face Mrs. Fredrick again, but the woman had already disappeared.

"Hey, where is the bride at?" The brunette heard Matt's dad call out from the other room.

Myka threw her hand over her mouth, feeling as if she were about to vomit as she ran out of Matt's wealthy aunt and uncle's country house, that they were letting them use for the wedding. She ran past the gazebo and chairs, which were set up for their outdoor wedding, and into the tent that was pitched for her and her bridesmaids. The sun was setting so there was still some light seeping through the thin fabric walls.

The woman plunked down onto a large trunk that was sitting in the grass. She allowed her head to drop into her hands as she took in deep breaths, trying to rid herself of the nausea. She was about to get everything that she had ever wanted. She missed the Warehouse dearly and now was offered up a solution that would reunite her with it. She could be with Pete, Claudia, and Artie once again doing the job that she loved. She was about to marry a man that loved her dearly, who had helped her pick up the pieces after she had left the Warehouse those four years ago. She could tell him about the Warehouse. He would be okay with it too; she just knew that he would be. Myka loved him for that, and for so many other reasons. But now, when thinking on uniting her old life with her new one, her stomach churned.

She couldn't just say no to the Warehouse position, she belonged there. The Warehouse had a way of grabbing a hold of you and never letting go. But Matt didn't belong there, in her Warehouse life. He didn't own her heart there. Myka's eyes instantaneously filled with tears as she looked down to her left hand. There on her finger sat her beautiful engagement ring, she spun it a few times on her finger with her opposite hand, before she allowed her thumb to make its way to her palm. There she gently rubbed her digits over the scars on either side of her hand. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks now, while her thoughts fell onto the person who shared the same scares as hers. Like they were forever tethered together and their scared hands were the physical mark to represent it.

The woman wiped her face with her sleeve and stood up, deciding to go for a walk, needing to just move. But when she rose to her feet she saw an envelope pushed into the edge of the floor-length mirror, which was inside the tent. Her name was written on it, but as she approached it, her heart skipped a beat. She knew the handwriting. Before she reached for it she whipped her head about, looking to see if the owner of the cursive was there, but she didn't see anyone. Myka then took a hold of the envelope and carefully opened it; sliding out a note. She scrunched her face in confusion, for all it had written down were two Chinese symbols:

緣分

Myka had no idea what it meant, she couldn't read Chinese, but she needed to know.

"Hey you," a soft voice came from the entrance of the tent. Myka looked up to see Matt's reflection in the mirror.

"Hey," She smiled before sniffling.

"Myka," He walked over to her and gently turned her around and then lovingly placed his hands on her forearms, "Are you alright?" he took one hand off her to wipe her cheeks dry before placing it back on her body.

Myka didn't know what to say, so she just collapsed into his chest and hugged him tight. He wrapped his arms around her in response and kissed the top of her head. They stayed like that for a few silent minutes before Myka spoke up, "Did I ever tell you that you saved me?"

"What?" the man asked whilst neither of them budged from their embrace.

"When we met, I was broken, I no longer had confidence in my abilities, and my heart was hurt by someone that I trusted, who later betrayed me. But you helped me gain my confidence back and you loved my hurting heart. You saved me Matt, and I never thanked you for it."

"Myka, Sweetie, you don't have to thank me for loving the most remarkable person whom I have ever met."

"Dustin Byfuglien?"

Matt laughed, "Okay, the second most remarkable person whom I have ever met, then"

"Hey!" Myka pushed back a bit to look at him before swatting him upside the head. "You know the number of pucks he's taken to the head? Take that number and subtract it from itself, and that's the number of pucks that have hit this one," she pointed to her own head with the hand that still held her cryptic message.

"Yeah, I suppose I'm lucky then. A full set of teeth can be more of a turn on then ones with gaps. But then again, shove Smarties in those spaces, then you're rocking a whole new look."

Myka giggled, "Have you always been like this, or is Pete rubbing off on you?"

"A little bit of both, I think," The man smiled at her where he then noticed the paper in her hand. "What's that?" he gestured to the object whilst squinting at it, "Chinese?"

"Oh, ah yeah," Myka handed it to him, not too worried to share it.

He held it in-between them, "Yeah, I thought I recognized these symbols."

"Wait? What?" Myka asked in pure shock, "You know what this means?"

"Yeah, my sister, Julia, the one that you still haven't met, the one now living in Vancouver. Her and her husband, who is the purest form of a hippy Vancouverite with pot to spare. They have matching tattoos or whatever. One has this symbol," he pointed to the first one, "and the other has this one," he pointed to the second symbol.

"Well, what? What do they mean?" Myka asked with too much eager in her big emerald eyes.

"Ah, if I remember correctly, the word is pronounced yuanfen, it means like, the binding force between two people and something to do with fate. I always just understood it to mean soul mates."

Myka looked to Matt where her eyes pooled. The man then gazed up from the paper to find his fiancée leaking tears, once again. "Matt," Myka held his gaze and spoke steadily, "I love you."

Matt looked at her with both misunderstanding and fear, "and I love you, Myka."

"I know," She sniffled, "But I can't go through with this anymore."

"What?" Matt pulled his head back in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"This is too much. I can't handle it. If we are going to be together you need to know something about me. I need to know that you will fit still." Myka back stepped away from him and started to pace, "I'm not even giving you a proper chance here. Of course I'm not ready to marry you right now."

"Wait, what? Matt asked, "Myka, what's going on here?"

"Matt I want to go back to my old job," she looked him square in the eye.

"Like your job in the U.S.? The Revenue Cana- I mean IRS job?"

"Yes…. Well, no, but yes!"

"Myka, you're not making any sense."

"I know, I'm sorry." She threw her hands to her head, "I never actually worked for the IRS. That was just my cover." She brought her hands back down and looked to him, "Matt, I was a secret service agent."

"I knew it!" Matt almost cheered whilst he pointed his finger at her.

"What?" it was now Myka's turn to be confused. "You knew? How?"

"Well I always suspected that you were something like that. I mean, Myka, last year when you saw someone breaking into the neighbor's house, you just ran over there and karate chopped the guy."

"Yeah, but I told you that I learned that as a kid in martial arts classes, which I actually did. And I do that kind of stuff at work too; you've seen me do it."

"I know, but you still went over to that house like it was your obligation to protect. And come on really, IRS, Don't get me wrong, you are great with paperwork and all, but…. No. It's just all wrong in my head."

Myka couldn't help but giggle towards him, "Wow, you really do know me better than I ever give you credit for."

"I try," He smiled back at her. "Now can you please tell me that you aren't leaving me for your glorified agent life in the US?" he took her hands and asked with concern.

Myka looked into his eyes and decided that she would give him a chance, give them a chance. She owed him as much, and she did love him. "I want you to come with me," She said with more confidence than she was actually feeling. "I know it's a lot to…"

"Okay," the man interrupted her.

"What?"

"If this is what you want, then yes, I'll move to the states with you."

"Really? You would just move away from your home, for me?"

"Well, geographically speaking, South Dakota is closer to Winnipeg than Montreal is, so really I would be moving closer to home.

Myka threw her arms around him. "You are amazing, you know that?"

"Yes, I know."

"Shut up," She giggled, "You can't always be perfect."

"I can try though," Matt gently took her chin and guided her face up to his, before kissing her. Myka felt safe to his touch, he always made her feel safe. But she still didn't know if it was enough, if he was enough. She needed for him to be. So her logical brain told her body to relax and see where their love would bring them. So in that instance she decided that she would tell him everything about the Warehouse. Letting her logic win, and her commitment towards Matt, be enough for her future.

Four months later…

Helena crept quietly into the young woman's room at Leena's. She was still asleep in bed, with the sun creeping through the blinds, streaming across her sleeping beauty's face. HG couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of her. She then went to sit on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder.

"Wake up my sleepy head," She whispered.

"Hu? Wha?" The woman blinked her eyes open as she stretched. "HG!" The, now awake, girl hollered in excitement before she bound up to wrap her arms around the Victorian's body.

HG chuckled and hugged her back, "Hello to you too, Claudia."

"Dude, where have you been?" Claudia pulled away to look at her. "Last thing I heard was; you're not dead, then nothing. Zip! It's like you vanished off the planet for months."

"I know, I know, I'm so sorry Darling. I just needed some time."

"To heal? 'Cause you could have healed just fine, right here," Claudia said almost in an offended tone.

"I know I could have, Claudia." The older woman tucked some of the tech's messy red hair, behind her ear. "I was hurt bad, and I just need time… away from here." HG looked down to her own lap.

"Soooo, you're all better now, right?" Claudia asked.

"Sure," The airship captain looked up at her, "physically, I could take on both Pete and Steve in a flight," she forced a smile.

Claudia chuckled, "Well now you'll have to throw Myka in the mix too. I mean HG, you got mad kung fu skills, but so does she."

HG nodded blankly at hearing her dear friend's name. "So" the woman took a deep breath through her nose, "How is it now, with the lovely newlyweds here?"

"It's pretty cool. Though, they are in a house just up the road, so it's not like they're here, here."

"Ah," HG nodded, not quite knowing how to react to the information.

"Yep." Claudia said, "Oh, and they aren't newlyweds yet."

"What?" HG said all too quickly.

"Yeah, Myka postponed the wedding. She said it was too much all at once, with her telling Matt about the Warehouse, then them moving down here, and Matt's new engineering job, etcetera, etcetera."

"So, wait. You're telling me that they're not married?" HG tried with all her might to hinder her smile and twinkling eyes.

"Yeah," Claudia responded, "Seriously HG, I'm the one who is half awake here, not you."

"When's the new date then?"

"There isn't one yet. Matt's been asking Myka for about a month now, but she keeps telling him to cool his heals or something, I don't really get it."

"Well, have you asked her about it?" the woman tried to ask as nonchalant as possible.

"Uhhh," the girl though on it, "no I don't think so, why?"

"Wha- no, just curious." She shook her head un-caringly. The Victorian then sighed before patting Claudia on the leg. "Alright Missy, I have to go speak with Artie about an artifact. I'll see you later." She rose to her feet.

"I hope you mean, an hour or two later, not multiple months."

HG chuckled, "Yes I mean later today."

The older woman then went to the door, but just before she grabbed the handle, Claudia muttered, "yuanfen."

Helena's hand halted mid-reach, before she slowly turned back towards the girl, "What did you just say?"

"I forgot, I did ask Myka once why she had not set a new date. And all she said was, 'yuanfen.'," Claudia shrugged her shoulders, "whatever that means."

Wordlessly HG turned back and exited through the door, with both a tear in her eye and a smile on her face.

"Game on, Mathew."

 

~Fin~


End file.
